


Dìlse

by petyrbaaaeeelish



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Daenerys Targaryen - Freeform, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Jorah Mormont - Freeform, Scottish Gaelic, Scottish Highlands, Slow Burn, Smut, has a bit of an Outlander vibe to it, highlands, western hebridies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2020-04-23 18:15:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 44,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19156330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petyrbaaaeeelish/pseuds/petyrbaaaeeelish
Summary: Jorah has lived in exile for the past two years in the isolated islands of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. One evening he stumbles upon two foreigners, and despite of his own reservations he allows them into his home and falls into an a trap he was unwilling to step into- one that concerns his heart.





	1. Strangers

**Author's Note:**

> "Dìlse" means loyalty in Scottish Gaelic. 
> 
> There will be some unfamiliar words in this story, but if they ever do appear than you can be assured of a translation at the bottom of the notes. 
> 
> This is my first time trying out this pairing, but it is a favourite of mine for as long as I can remember. I hope you enjoy the read!
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

The sun was close to setting along the crystal cove. A fading glow of burnt orange lighting settled over the icy water, and I found a sense of peace as I gazed at the soft lapses of waves steadily creeping its way towards the sandy cove. I settled down on the grass, hearing the whistling of the wind blowing past me, heading towards the rolling hills that belonged to my home. I removed my cap, letting the dark tweed pattern rest over my lap as I crossed my legs. My net of caught fish laid right beside me, the fish flapping up and down occasionally as they tried to take in their last breath. My small boat was anchored on the shore, left for another hard day’s work.

The entire coast was empty, not another human soul was in my line of sight. A flight of sparrows flew past me, heading inland where their humble nests were calling them home. I had no one waiting for me, however, and so I stretched out my legs across the smooth pebbles of sand and stared out into the water for a moment more.

Time past by, and eventually I gathered up my belongings to trail along the coastline at a leisurely pace. The sun was still up, so I had no real worry. The fish over the fire would make a fine meal after another long day's work, and I had the good fortunate of not having to share my afternoon catch with anyone else. I was trudging through the last of the rocky part when I heard a voice off in the distance, being carried over the harsh evening winds. I stood in my place and looked around the curved coastline where I suspected the voice was coming from. My net of fish was drawn over my shoulder, resting over my back, and then with purposeful steps I followed the man’s voice with an air of suspicion. There was a women’s voice as well, I was almost sure of it, but I had trouble distinguishing the words spoken. I quickened my steps, leaving my boat- the only way to acquire food in this lonely desolate place, and followed the sounds that were being carried over the water.

Soon a boat appeared in my line of view, longer and much finer than my own. There were two individuals inside of it, the man holding two sturdy wooden oars while the lady he was with simply watched him. I knew they were foreigners right away, the manner of dress and the starkness to their pure white hair confirmed it. It was a frightening shade, so I crouched down low on the floor and did my best to hide behind a boulder. I only wish I had a weapon with me, knowing if they padded in the same direction, they would encounter my boat soon enough. There were no other boats following them, so I could only assume they were traveling alone.

They came closer to the shoreline with a fit of angry yells, it was clear they were in a heated argument and it was only getting worse. The wind carried their voices, and I was confused by the language they were speaking to each other- it was a language I had never heard before.

The man pointed at my boat, finding the one thing I was dreading. The woman glanced over her shoulder, obviously relieved that the man had spotted my dingy old fishing boat in close proximity to their own. The man padded himself nearer, the wind going in his favour to make him come towards the coastal-line at a staggering pace. I stood up at this point, and walked my way towards them, feeling it was necessary to greet the strangers that still posed a threat to me. I raised a hand in the air and took larger steps forward; the woman raised herself higher in her seat to reveal the tarnished dress she was wearing that was stripped down to dangling threads. I thought she might be a witch, for the paleness of her skin could rival the moon alone and her hair was like fine threads of silver. She was the first to raise her hand in silent acknowledgment, while the man halted his rowing of the boat to take a good look at me. A moment passed, all of us staring at one another; the gale blowing harder than before to let the stranger’s long silver hair flap in the icy cold wind. The man had come to his own conclusion, and rowed his boat faster than before to meet me at the edge of the shoreline. Once the boat was close enough, I took a step into the water, wanting to assist the man that had trouble getting it onto the sandy bed. The man eventually jumped out of the boat with exhaustion, drenching his pants in water with a look of regret. He attempted to push the heavy boat up the sandy coast, but was too weak to do so.

I raised up my hands to show the young woman I was unarmed, and then stepped into the water with my fishing net still at my back. One large hands outstretched itself to the wooden boat, and with a few strong pulls I was able to assist the young man drag it up the rocky beach.

He was breathless once it was done, hunching over the edge of his boat as he tried to catch his breath. The woman turned in her seat to stare at me, her eyes so icy blue it was almost unnerving.

“Latha math,” I greeted her, only to have her blink at me with pure ignorance of the words I had just uttered. I lowered my chin, trying to think of something better to say. “Hello,” I offered to her, hoping the language of the Scottish lowlander’s would somehow make her understand the words I was trying to say.

“Hello,” she answered me back in a quiet voice, and I felt the steadiness of her gaze as she looked at me. She would not look away, so I was the first to break it and glare at the unknown man instead. He stood tall in the water, his figure lean and gangling; a dark robe he wore over the whole of his frame, and his hair half tied back loosely with some white string. There were no braid’s in his hair like the woman still seated in the boat, but it was clear they belonged to the same clan. I noticed a resemblance in their features, a similar colour to their frosty blue eyes. I had originally perceived them as a man and wife, but now I was not so sure.

“Hello,” he stated with a heavy accent wafting through the air. A pale bony hand was outstretched in front of me, and I grasped it with a tightness to prove my true strength. He inquired where we were situated, so I informed him of the coastline where I was currently living. Eyebrows raised with a look of astonishment and then he sheepishly confessed of never hearing such a name before. I was hardly surprised by this news, seeing that I was put here only because of exile. My eyes darkened at the thought of it, and I forcibly broke my gaze away in order to quiet my thoughts.

The girl was attempting to get out of the boat, but her brother made no real effort to assist her. I stretched out an arm to show her I meant to come to her aid, and then raised up my left one so I could drop my net inside her boat and then carry her out of it with ease. She was small under my grip, in stature and in size, and I thought for a second she must have been a child. She had a body of a woman, however, and a strength in her gaze that made me think she was well beyond in years. “Fàilte,” I whispered, after she was placed into the shallow water where the ground was level and safe. I left her where she was, and began to pull the boat up higher up the sea's coastline, knowing the waves would inevitably rise before the night was through.

The man picked up a small brown sack, the only belongings they had, and with a weary sigh he turned his attention to me. “Do you know of any place we can stay?”

“Stay?” I inquired, somewhat perplexed by his words.

“Lodgings?”

“Lodgings?” I laughed, and then rested my large hands over my hips as my laughter grew louder. “No,” I finally relented, and then turned my back to the setting sun to make my way higher up the shoreline.

“Is that a no?” he asked me with his unfamiliar accent.

“Aye, it’s a no.”

The man was quick to catch up to me, stumbling up the sandy brown stones to take a place by my side. “We need a place to stay for the night.”

“The ground is fairly flat up yonder,” I told him. “Find any place worth camping and there you have it.”

“Camping?” he disclosed with worry trembling the sound of his voice.

“Aye, sleeping on the ground.” I pointed at the lush grass that was currently under my feet. “Sleeping under the stars… same thing.”

The man pulled at my arm, forcing me to face him. I reacted instantly by pushing him away, forcing him to stumble backwards and nearly falling on top of the woman behind him. “What are you doing?” he yelled out, giving me a haughty look to show his displeasure.

“I ought to ask you the same thing!”

Our attention was thwarted away by the commanding voice of the woman behind us: “Viserys!” The young man lowered his dark eyebrows, his eyes became slits as he tore his gaze back to the woman. She was not afraid of his reaction, being at a temper that could rival his own.

“He _touched_ me!”

“You touched him first,” she argued back.

She pushed her hand into his shoulder, moving him away before she stepped in front of me. “Please, we need your help.”

I ground my teeth together, not trusting these two strangers that were obviously unprepared of living in this wilderness. “I can’t help you.”

“You can,” she pleaded, and raised a hand so that it almost touched my woolen sweater. “Please.”

I looked over her shoulder, staring at the man with fiercely crossed arms. I then looked past him as well, seeing the sun low over the frigid blue waters and the sky darkening by the minute. “One night,” I found myself saying, and then pointed in the direction I intended to go from the start. “And that’s it,” I warned, and then placed my heavy boots over a slab of rock to make my way up the hill. The woman walked by my side, but the ill-tempered man stayed behind us both.

“Where are you taking us?”

“To my home,” I barked out.

“Is it far?”

“Far enough.”

She drew her arms around her chest, noticing how the wind continued to blow behind our backs. She must have been cold, the long dress was not appropriate for this kind of weather.

“What is your name?” she asked me in a small voice.

“Jorah,” I answered her. “Jorah Mormont.”

“Daenerys,” she quickly replied. “And the man behind me is my brother… Viserys.”

“Strange names.”

“Are they?”

“Aye,” I muttered. “Very strange.” She smiled at me softly, with soft dimples indenting the sides of her cheeks. “And your clothing too,” I pointed out. “Don’t you know it can rain at any moment ‘round here?”

“It was all we had,” she stated with a mournful shrug of her shoulder. “We are lucky to even be here at all.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she answered me with bitterness vibrating the sound of her voice.

“Right then.”

She was undeterred by the rolling hills, but the heavy breaths of her brother informed me the man was completely out of shape. I glanced over my shoulder, seeing his mouth wide open as he tried to gasp for air. The night sky was just behind him, and I feared of getting lost in the darkness. “We should hurry,” I uttered out, and picked up my pace.

A humble home made of grey stone greeted me, and with a sigh of relief I heaved the black net over my shoulders a little more and then opened the door. “Here we are,” I announced, and held open the door for the young lady. The man ignored my presence as he walked inside, looking around with an unimpressed look. “It’s not much, but its all I have.”

I looked around the flat ground, eyeing the stacked pieces of firewood that needed to be alighted as soon as possible. “You will have to sleep here,” I deduced aloud. “I got a spare blanket I can give you, but that’s about it.”

“You live alone?” Viserys questioned me. “No servants?”

“Not anymore.”

“Pity.”

“It took a while to adjust, but I somehow managed it.” I dropped the fishing net down on the ground, and pulled off my hat to scratch at my dirty blonde hair. “You know how to prepare fish for cooking?”

“No,” he snickered. “But my sister might.”

“If you are going to live out here, you might as well learn how to survive,” I quipped. “And it starts with this.”

“Dany?” he voiced aloud. “You know how to do it, don’t you?”

“No,” she confessed with shame.

“If the two of you hadn't found my boat, what would you have done?”

Viserys chuckled at me with pure mockery. “Probably drown, but we didn’t thanks to you.”

“Aye!” I said with sarcasm. “I’ll get a knife for the fish.”

I left them for a minute, and by the time I returned they were seated next to the cold firepit. Nimble, deft-like hands worked quickly to get the fire going, and once a spark appeared in my line of sight I turned my attention to the fair maiden with a silver-sheened dagger in my hand. “Let’s begin,” I prompted up, and then offered her council in a gentle tone of voice on the best way to cook the fish. The man stood off in the corner as we began to prepare our meal, deciding to distance himself for some unknown reason. The young woman worked quietly beside me, her fingers pale and unused to such labour. I wondered if she belonged to some local gentry, but when I asked her that she silently nodded her head with a sad look in her eyes. “Not anymore,” she answered me. “But that will change someday.”

“You plan to marry one,” I gibed.

“I plan to take it back,” she answered me with strength in her voice. “By any means possible.”

“And how will you do that?”

Daenerys never answered me, and instead focused on her task with a look of determination.

“It is smoky in here,” Viserys complained. “And hot.”

“You can’t have one and the other,” I quipped. “No smoke means a cold night.”

“I can feel my eyes burning.”

“Then go outside,” I suggested, wishing he would leave the room.

“And leave you with _her,_ ” he jeered. “Not for a moment.”

“I am a man of honour,” I stated. “I am the last person you should fear with her.”

“Ah,” he expressed with amusement. “As if I haven’t heard that one before.” He pointed at his sister as he added, “A virgin she arrived here, and a virgin she'll continue to be.”

“I have no interest-”

“-save it for someone who cares,” he rapped out, and then smacked his hands together to show our conversation was finished. “Could I go to that room over there, the smoke is less-”

“-that is my room, so no.”

He grunted at me, while his eyes tried to peak through the tiny gap of space that was not covered by my forest green drapes. “I am _dying_ of heat,” he repeated. “If only I could change and bath.”

“You really aren’t from around here, are you?”

“I am from France,” he stated with pride. “And I am starting to wonder why I ever left it.”

“France?”

“Why did we ever leave such a civilized place?” he asked his sister. She ignored him, only prodding the fire with a long stick to make herself look busy. “To claim a home that-”

“-that’s enough,” his sister shot out.

“Why does it matter? It’s not like he is going to tell anyone about it.”

“I told you to be silent.”

“You did?”

She dropped the stick to the floor, and sharply turned her head to her brother. He was stalking his way towards her, eyes blazing with unaccountable anger. “You may talk to other people like that, but not me.”

“Enough!” I yelled out. “Or I’ll throw the both out of ye out me house,” I warned in a thick brogue that came from the very depth of me. I suddenly rose to my feet, towering over the silver-haired man with staggering height. “I’ll have not another word… especially from _you._ ”

Viserys crossed his arms at me, and then turned around to trudge back into his chosen corner.

“He is always like that,” Daenerys hushed, once I crouched down beside her. “He wishes to be a ruler, but who would follow him.”

“I wouldn’t.”

“He is like his father,” she mused aloud. “So hot tempered, so… unafraid.”

“And you’re not?”

“I know how important it is to have discipline.”

“Aye, discipline makes for a good leader.”

“And they should be strong.”

“Strong as a rock,” I joked. “But I see that in you.”

“When we lived in France I felt that we never truly belonged there, but once we entered these lands that my forefathers called home, well...”

“You had a change of heart.”

“I’m not so sure,” she confessed. “Perhaps, I lived so far away that I had forgotten how simple life can truly be.”

“We live the simplest one,” I agreed. “But it is hearty and full of life.” She giggled at my words, her laughter sounding almost musical to my ears.

“You say such strange things.”

“And so, do you.”

“I do?”

“Yes,” I quickly shot out. “And your hair… why that is the strangest thing of all.”

“My hair?” she inquired and combed her small fingers through it suggestively.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” I pondered aloud. “Or do you engage in witchcraft?”

“I do no such thing.”

“I almost _fear_ that particular shade,” I half taunted.

She smiled at me fondly, letting her shoulders relax with complacent ease. “There is nothing to fear.”

The fire cracked loudly, and then I turned our attention back to our food, sensing it was nearly ready.

Fish was laid out on slabs of wood that was scrubbed down for such an occasion. Fish was placed upon it, a few gathered mushrooms from a morning gathering was positioned to the side of our steaming trout. I had no such utensils, so I took up the food with my fingers and began to fish around the bones for something pleasant to put inside of my mouth. The two foreigners followed my example, and soon we sat around the fire in silent companionship with only the harsh gale of the wind to give my house some sound.

“What is around here?” Viserys asked. “A city?”

“Anything close to the city will not be found on these islands,” I informed him. “You would have to find a larger boat or a ferry man to take you to the mainland of Scotland.”

“God, how far out did we go?”

“Where did you come from?”

“We don’t know,” he whined. “We’ve been on the run for ages. You have no idea how many times we’ve almost been captured.”

“Until we finally were,” his sister stated with an edge to her voice.

“We were lucky to escape when we did,” he noted. “They threatened to make us slaves… but not normal ones.” His voice went deeper as he uttered, “The colour of our hair makes people do mad things, especially when it comes to my sister.”

“Sex slaves,” Daenerys quietly uttered.

“Prostitution,” Viserys bellowed out. “Is quite a common thing in France.”

“One you engaged in?” I joked, happy to finally be getting along with this man.

“Oh no,” he quickly answered back. “No, I never really considered that sort of thing.”

I raised an eyebrow at him, and then lifted my tin mug to take a sip of water. I only had two cups, so I left my seat to offer the rest to the gangly looking man on the other side of the fire. “You say your forefathers are from here, but you look nothing like us.”

“I get my looks from my mother,” he laughed. “And Dany too.” He smirked at me mischievously as he added, “But our eyes are from our father.”

“Cold blue,” I taunted. “Cold as death.”

“You’re not the first…” Danerys interjected. “… to say such a thing.”

“Its unnerving,” I told her. “Like the two of you are piercing into my soul.” I pouted deeply, secretly hoping I did not allow mages to enter my household. Those were old tales, of course, nothing but superstition, but I secretly wondered if they were true as I glared at the two mysterious strangers.

“I am done,” Viserys remarked. “Where should I put the wood?”

“I will wash it up afterwards,” I relayed. “I might as well get my bowl out for bathing.” I bent a knee as I tried to gather myself off the ground, musing my thoughts aloud by adding: “I will skip a bath for now, it looks like the two of you need it more than me, and besides I have a shortage of water tonight.”

“Thank you,” Daenerys answered me in a kind tone of voice.

“I don’t know where you are going to do it, given how small the place is.” I scanned the area, realizing I might have to take one of them in my room at a time while the other bathed in front of the fire. “I’ll be right back,” I grumbled, and then went into my room to clean up my area.

* * *

Viserys was looking out my small window, going on his toes as he tried to peak out into the darkness. “What exactly are you trying to see?”

“I just realized you live alone out here.”

“And?”

“Not another house in sight.”

“And?”

“Why are you living out here alone?”

“I didn’t exactly have a choice.”

He turned his gaze away from the window, settling it over my shadowy visage that was half covered in darkness. I was sitting on my makeshift bed, the candle laying on the floor next to me. Most of my belongings I was able to bring with me, but the rest I either bartered for or made with my own hands. I was lucky enough to have my father teach me how to live off the land, and my kindness towards my servants had allowed me to learn many things by simply watching them. I still couldn’t sew though, and that was the reason most of my clothes had awful holes in it or shredded in places that greatly needed to be hemmed in. I drew a heavy blanket over my feet, realizing the temperature was dropping faster than I had originally anticipated.

“My sister is taking forever,” Viserys complained at the foot of my bed.

“Give her time.”

“I don’t have time,” he mockingly replied. “And neither does she. I am weary for bed.” He stretched out his arms and let out a loud yawn, and once that was done he curled up in a small ball on the floor. “Will you take us to the area we need to go to get back to the mainland?”

I laughed in reply and quickly shook my head. “That will take me days,” I finally replied. “Days I don’t have to spare on _you._ ”

“What if I should pay you?”

“I don’t need the money.”

“Alright,” he consented. “What about companionship?”

“I am fine alone.”

He crossed his arms at me in disagreement, and just then we heard soft footsteps padding across my dirt floor and then the drapes were flung over to the side. Daenerys was draped in one of my blankets, her cheeks turning a shade of pink once she caught my lingering stare. “I scrubbed my dress as well,” she muttered. “But only realized afterwards I had nothing-”

“-you can wear one of mine,” I interrupted, and then rose out of the bed to head towards my wooden chest. “It will be big on you though.” I held out a knitted turtleneck, seeing how easily it could dwarf her own small form.

“Thank you,” she offered with half a smile. Her brother had left the room without me realizing it, and only when the drapes swung back in place to blot out the bright lights of the fire that I suddenly became aware that we were alone. “Do you have any trousers?”

“Ummmm.”

“Pants?”

“Yes, I know what you were intending to say,” I quickly answered her. “They won’t fit you though.”

“Do you have anything to tie them up with?”

“I should,” I said with some level of hesitation. “I hope so.”

She laughed at my words, her eyes shining with happiness the longer she looked at me. “I think that’s important, don’t you?”

“Aye.”

She smiled at my words, and then tightened the tartan patterned blanket across her frame to cover up her nakedness. I forced my gaze away from her, searching for something to fit Daenerys. I found suitable clothing for her eventually, and then turned my back to her so she could change. A few minutes passed by, where I could only hear the cracking of the fire in my main living space and the occasional splashes of cold water that was being used by Viserys. I noticed how the wind had settled down outside, which left a peaceful murmur of crickets and an occasional cry of birds just outside my window. “I’m done,” broke my thoughts, and I turned around to see the small girl dressed in my own clothing. She flapped the bottom of black knitted sweater in a teasing gesture, exposing the truth of how large I was to her in comparison. “Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you have something for my brother as well?”

“I suppose,” I sighed, and then walked around her to get at my chest again.

“Your house is so warm.”

“It will be even hotter out there,” I mused aloud. “You will get used to the smoke, only wish the wind would blow again to blow it around the house.”

“Its better than nothing.” I heard a rustling sound behind me, and when I looked over my shoulder, I saw her comfortably wrapped up in the abandoned blanket she was once wearing. “Do you ever get lonely out here?”

“Not really,” I lied.

“I think its rather nice,” she remarked with an honest look about her under the faint candlelight. “And you made a home of it, haven’t you?”

“The best I could.”

“Could you come with us?” she asked. “Help us take back our home?”

“I have no army at my back,” I joked. “And I have no art of persuasion… at least that is what my…” I halted suddenly, eyes widening with the realization of what I was about to say. “No,” I replied to her in a wooden voice, and then tilted my chin downwards to break off her inquisitive gaze.

“Jorah?”

“I hope your brother is nearly done,” I quickly shot back. “I need to go to bed.”

“Was it something I said?”

I walked past her small form, and then kicked at my blankets as I stood over my makeshift bed. “I’m lying down,” I lied, hoping the conversation would come to an end. “You can sleep at the foot of it, if you’d like.” I nearly snickered as I added, “Any closer and your brother will have my head.”

“He would,” she consented, and with that she settled down at the ground next to my feet. I watched her outstretch herself, taking up the last of the space in my tiny room with sharp attentiveness.

“You can’t sleep here, you know.”

“I know.”

“As long as you know,” I warned, knowing it would be tempting to stay where she was. “And you will be gone by tomorrow morning.”

“I know,” she replied in a sadder tone of voice.

“It’s better that way,” I sighed. “Trust me.”

I didn’t want to tell her that it was in fact better that way. I was a man that was broken in more ways than one, and the past two years of exile has taught me one important lesson: it is better to live _alone._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Latha math- Good day. It is pronounced "laa maa" interestingly enough (The "th" is silent at the end of the words).
> 
> "Fàilte" - Welcome.


	2. Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah wakes up to find torrential rain pouring right outside of his doorstep. His original plans are quickly thwarted, which means he will unfortunately spend more time with his guests than he originally intended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely apologize for the delay. There are five other stories I am currently working on in Ao3, so its been a difficult task juggling them all. You may expect a more frequent update after this one, since I am determined to put some time aside this week to work on it. 
> 
> I do thank you for the comments on the first chapter. It was very encouraging to read :)
> 
> On a final note any unfamiliar words will be posted at the bottom of the Author's Notes, though I am trying to refrain from using Gaelic at the moment (which is a struggle lol). I hope you enjoy the chapter,
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

I was roused by the sound of rain pelting down the side of my stony hut, aware of how hard the rain was falling. A scruff of hair was balled up in my fist, weary and lethargic from yesterday’s efforts in the sun. A soft sigh escaped me, and then I rolled over to the other side of the bed where the black drapes were drawn. A few blinks escaped me before a sudden remembrance came over me, the strangers I had let into my humble abode.

A quick glance at my feet assured me that the young woman had left my quarters. _Its for the better._ I let out a tired cough, noticing how the morning mist had seeped its way into my room. I felt damp, sweaty from the thick layers of blankets that had covered my form last night. A sharp kick upwards and the blankets were pushed to the far end of my bed; I rolled out of them, crawling on the leveled ground till I could stand to my feet.

In a few minutes my clothes were removed, and I threw on a high-collared turtleneck made of wool with long black trousers. Drapes pushed back; I spotted the guests sleeping around the deadened fire; they were closely huddled together to show me they had grown cold last night. _They will need better clothing if they intend to travel across Scotland,_ I mused, but felt it wasn’t my responsibility to get them the appropriate garb. _We must make our own way in the world._

I took out a large bowl from my small kitchen area and carried it over to my front door. I placed it under the drenching rain and promptly shut my wooden door, only to return with a washing bowl I would need in another hour or so. Normally I would have to go to the sea to get my water, but luck was on my side and all I needed was an object to catch the rain. In the meantime, I started the fire, doing my best not to stir my guests awake.

 _Brochan_ was stirred in my small pot, though I had very few ingredients to give it much flavour. I took a wee bit of milk and poured it into the last of my breakfast, stirring it around gently as I snuck a peak at the fair-haired girl next to my shoulder. The firelight illuminating her hair, making it look like threads of silver cascading down her shoulders and back.

I went over to my front door to fetch the bowls, placing them next to the inside of the front door for future use. The kitchen was the next place to attend too, searching for extra bowls and utensils for my guests to use. Once everything was prepared for did I wake them up, knowing the warmth of the fire would play to my favour.

“Madainn mhat,” I hushed to the girl with a wide-eyed expression, clearly forgetting where she was. “Its  _Jorah_.”

“Oh.”

“Breakfast is ready.”

I left her then, shaking the side of her brother’s arm with the same determination to wake him up as well. Her brother was more prone to be awake, catching the light of the fire in the corner of his eye. “Warmth,” he acknowledged, and was quick to rise off the ground. “Food too?”

“Yes.”

The man walked past me to peer at the contents of the pot. “Porridge,” he observed. “That is something I can put into my stomach.”

I ignored his comment and rose off the ground to hand each of them a bowl of what Viserys oddly referred to as “Porridge.”

“I will smell like smoke by the end of this,” the white-haired man complained.

His sister openly rolled her eyes at him, before she continued to eat her breakfast. She was sitting closer to me than her own brother, though she made no effort to start a conversation. The fire danced in front of us, the flames flickering in the air in a fanciful way. “I will let the fire go as long as it can go,” I announced aloud. “But once its done, its done.”

“What do you mean?” Daenerys asked beside me.

“I don’t have enough firewood to last us the whole day,” I informed her. “Not if the rain keeps coming down like this.”

“Oh.”

“But it also means…” I turned my gaze to her, seeing her face so smooth and full of youthfulness. “… that our journey is postponed.”

“You mean…”

“We are not venturing outside today.”

There was a shadow of a smile across her face, and then she quickly lowered her chin to her chest to hide it.

Viserys was quick to voice his opinion aloud: “Are you afraid of a little rain?”

“If you want to spend the whole day outside in this, then be my guest.”

“I thought you country folks would be used to this!”

I grunted under my breath and simply took to eating my breakfast again. _I’d give him ten minutes outside in the rain before he starts to complain of it._

“Jorah is right,” his sister rebutted. “I see no reason to travel in this storm.”

A silence descended between the two siblings, both at odds with one another. I took my empty bowl off the ground and then outstretched my right arm to retrieve Daenerys’ bowl as well.

“Thank you, Jorah,” she sweetly relayed. “Do you need any help washing it up?”

“Its fine.”

“You have already done so much.”

“You can help me with the lunch,” I suggested, and then left the spot to put away the dirty dishes. I returned a few minutes later with some of my garments and inquired whether she could stich them back together. A needle was firmly placed between her small fingers, and soon enough she was repairing my old clothes in front of the fire. Viserys eyed me worriedly, knowing it was only a matter of time until I put him to work as well.

“You enjoying the fire?” I asked him, while I did my best to hide my cunning smile.

“I am, actually.”

“Good.” I drew a short axe out from behind my back and lowered it slightly over his lap. “Then you will have no problem cutting up the rest of my firewood.”

He said something in his foreign tongue under his breath, and then reluctantly snatched the axe out of my hand to attend to the big stumps of wood.

The sound of chopping wood was heard behind me when I finally picked up my straw broom, attending to the mess around the kitchen area by sweeping it away. We all performed our individual tasks over the next hour, and Viserys was kept busy with an endless list of things to do. It was evident he used to leave a life of luxury, but I would not allow him that excuse to idly sit around the fire. The rain continued to pour down from the heavens, while the mist from the outside world snuck its way through the small windows of my stony hut. The smoke and mist made it rather difficult to see, but I was quite determined to finish up the last of my tasks.

Daenerys assisted me with our lunch, beef stew, the meat was bartered off from my neighbour for an exchange of fish I had caught off the coast. It tasted rather bland, I knew, but it was something to fill our stomachs. I found it amusing that we were wearing matching clothes, her small body completely dwarfed in my things. She was quiet and docile around me, but I felt she was holding back a part of herself. I had every intention of finding out the rest of her, even if it took quite a lot of time to get it. “I’d like to think this is the best part of your journey so far.”

Blue eyes glanced upwards in surprise, and then she turned her gaze away from me as she fell into her own reflective thoughts. “The journey has been very long,” she mused aloud. “And I fear this is just the beginning.”

“It must be very important to you.”

“By birthright it is mine,” she told me with a sternness to her voice.

“Don’t you mean your brothers.”

“Yes.” She darted her eyes away from me with some guiltiness, clearly putting herself in front of her brother.

“He is a man.”

“Yes.”

“It is very unlikely that the people would listen to a woman,” I deliberated aloud. “Not unless you have the strength to match ten of your own men, as well as your brother.”

We both lifted our gaze over the fire to see her brother sulking alone to himself, clearly tired after I gave him the mundane task of folding my laundry.

“But then again,” I began. “Your brother is truly something special.” I heard Daenerys laugh beside me, agreeing with me in her own way.

“I worry for him.”

“So do I.” She laughed at my words for the second time, brushing her long silver threads away from her shoulder and chest. It grew louder once her brother narrowed his eyes at us, suspicious that we were talking ill of him.

“I should stop,” she hushed, doing her best to cover her laughter by covering her mouth. I guilty rose off the ground, doing my best to distance myself from her as Viserys anger rose. _My when he looks that way you would almost think he was a dragon._ I opened the front door to let in some fresh air, noticing how the rain had died down slightly. Daenerys laughed still rang through the air, though it was quieter than before.

Viserys furious beyond comprehension, threw my clothes onto the floor and screamed out: “Shut your mouth, you bitch!”

The door slammed behind me, a darkness fell over the room, and the next thing I knew I had Viserys slammed up against my wall with the back of his head rammed against it. My breath was heated as it escaped the thin crack of my lips, grinding his body against the rough stone surface just behind him. No words were said, only an exchange of looks, the only warning I would ever need. I suddenly dropped him down to the floor, watching his body hunch over with fear. I made sure to snatch the axe away from him after I took a step back and then carried the heavy weapon back to my own quarters for safe keeping. The room was silent, aye, the entire house by the time I returned to the main living quarters. Viserys was curled up in a ball, sitting in a fetal position with his long hair dangling in front of his face. Daenerys sat in front of the fire, completely composed as though nothing had happened. “He does anything like that again, he is sleeping outside.” I plopped down on the floor far away from her and took to stirring our food as a needful distraction, too angry to look at either one of them.

* * *

“Thank you,” she whispered to me after I had handed her some of the beef strew. She drew her hands around the hot bowl, watching the steam rise from the surface.

I nodded my head at her and contemplated whether her brother deserved to have something to eat after all.

“He can wait,” she answered for me, and then dug her spoon into her meal. I raised an eyebrow at her, something she simply ignored.

“He is still your brother.”

“I know,” she replied with a coldness to her voice. I chose to listen to Daenerys and withheld her brother’s plate until it seemed fitting for him to have some. Viserys was currently sulking in the corner of the room, intent on not having any eye contact with either of us.

“Does your brother speak that way to you often?”

“When he is ready.”

“You mean…” I lowered my spoon into my bowl as I considered my next few words. “When he is angry.”

“My brother has a temper.”

“I noticed.”

“A very bad one,” she relayed with a sadness to her voice. “I have it too, but I… I feel that I can control it.”

“A quick-tempered man will not make a good leader. The people will either see it as a weakness or simply fear it.”

“Fear it?”

“A man that can lose his temper as quick as that will make decisions that are not helpful for his people. It can bring war upon them, maybe even death.”

“You speak wisely.”

“I speak only truth.”

“You would make a wise counselor,” she contemplated aloud. “And an even better leader.”

“I have been these things before,” I revealed to her. “But it was determined that I was ill-suited to them.”

“By who?”

“By my people,” I confessed. “And by others that should go unnamed.”

“They are wrong.”

I looked past my shoulder to see the sky was clearing, the rain coming down in soft drizzles at this point. “Whether they are wrong or right, I am here now, and here I shall stay.”

A hand laid over the top of my shoulder, the sudden contact made my head sharply turn towards her. Her eyes told me another story, a disbelief in the last of my words. Daenerys believed in me; her silent objection was revealed in her eyes. “We shall see, Jorah,” was all that she relayed to me, and with that she gathered our empty dishes and retreated from the spot.

I looked over the dwindling fire at the far corner where her brother was seated, and under the firelight his eyes were so sickly white it made me wonder if he was even human at all.

* * *

I was wearing a much lighter shirt when I ventured outdoors, my thin white shirt billowed across my broad chest as I went my way down hill. Daenerys was right beside me, holding up her dress so it wouldn’t get smeared in the mud. The gale off the coast blew at the side of me, brushing my curly blond hair away from my forehead. I let my bare hands feel the cold breeze, feeling like I was alive once more.

My faithful sword swung at the side of my hip, boots splattering over the damp grass that was flattened from the torrential rain. I looked over my shoulder to see Daenerys in the same dress as before, her face almost shining in the sunlight as she looked at me.

“I’m happy my brother did not want to come,” she called out, as she tried to pick up the pace to get to me.

“You are?”

“He would have ruined everything.”

I laughed at her, unintentionally raising up my hand for her to take. She looked puzzled by this action, so I instantly dropped down my hand and let it rest to the side of me. “Your brother is still angry with me.”

“I am happy you did that.”

“I couldn’t let him speak to you that way.”

She took her place beside me, her head leveled to the top part of my chest. Daenerys was so small in stature it brought a lop-sided grin to my face.

“He will never forgive you,” she warned, unaware of how I was feeling at the present moment. “Will carry it all the way to his grave.”

“Then he will find himself short of a friend.”

“Yes.” She looked over the endless heath, taking in the land surrounding my home. The bushes were dripping with morning dew, the grass smooth and wet as we walked alongside of it. The setting was serene, for even the mist had vanished from the rolling heath so we could have a clear view of the shimmering aqua blue sea.

“It is a lovely day.”

“It is.”

“You still have not asked me why I went outside.”

“For some fresh air?”

“No.”

“Food?”

“If I’m lucky I will find something, but it will take some time.” I pointed beyond the distance, our line of sight. “If you are familiar enough with the land you will know where to look. There is a bit of forestry far beyond our reach for today where I can go forging for hours but given that the evening will fall upon us that journey is not for today.”

“Then what are you looking for?”

“Hmmmm.” I scratched at my thick ginger coloured beard, knowing it would turn different shades of yellow and red under the warm sunlight. “Mushrooms,” I deliberated aloud. “If I’m lucky then berries.”

“Berries?’

“Oh, yes.” I pointed ahead, looking over a rolling steep hill as I added, “Maybe even some herbs for dinner.”

“What is for dinner?”

“I’m not sure yet.” I scratched at my thick beard again. “I was hoping to stretch out that fish for another day or two, but then I encountered some strangers along the coastline and-”

“-we ate it,” she chuckled amiably.

“We did.”

“Are there any animals that run along here?”

“Yes, but I still have trouble hunting them,” I admitted. “It was never my livelihood until recently.” I pointed to the left of me, somewhere far away from the lapping sea. “I spend most of my time bartering with my nearest neighbour, and he will give me some of his things in exchange for fish. He is bit old now and has trouble fishing like he used too.”

“And what do you get instead?”

“Well, he has some sheep that he farms,” I deliberated aloud. “So, there is some meat there, and and beef whenever he barters with the neighbour closest to him.”

“So, this goes around the whole area?”

“Everyone has something the other one doesn’t have,” I told her. “It’s just the way it is.” I stopped at a log and used my boot to turn it over slightly. “Oh, look what we have here,” I snickered, and then drew out a small dagger to unearth the mushrooms. “Here is a start.”

A small pouch was handed to Daenerys, full of mushrooms that I could use for a day or two at least. I then hopped over the log and chuckled aloud when she calmly walked around it. “We keep searching for more?”

“Unless you want mushrooms for dinner, then yes.” At that moment a small black bird landed on a tree overhead, making me raise up a hand at Daenerys to stay perfectly still. Ever so slowly I reached down at the ground, searching for a stone heavy enough to knock the bird down. Eyes squinting into the sunlight I let out a careful breath and then thrust the stone into the air. _Whap,_ the bird shot downwards and crashed to the ground, I sprinted towards it, using my dagger to slit at its throat before it could flap away from me. Daenerys made a noise when I raised up the bloody bird in victory, half horrified at my savageness. “Dinner.”

* * *

It was late in the evening as we strolled along the coast, our findings for the day was dropped off at the hut. Viserys was still intent on ignoring me, sitting in the corner of the room in awful silence. Daenerys decided to follow me down to the coast, wanting to see the small fishnet I set up to catch any fish that strayed in a certain area. I unhooked one end of the rope, placing the hilt of the dagger between my teeth as I hunched over to inspect the area. The net was gathered up, only to find it completely empty. I cursed under my breath despite of the thing in my mouth, and then brought it downward in the hopes of catching something for tomorrow. “Not everyday is so lucky,” I sighed aloud. “We have the bird, but it won’t be enough for three people.”

“I’m not hungry,” she lied, as she pressed down the front of her dress where the wind kept sweeping it upwards. She looked almost magical in the sunlight, with her long silver hair straying away from her face. _She really is beautiful,_ I admitted, before I forced my gaze to break away from hers.

“We should head back.”

“You’re not fishing.”

“It’s getting late.”

“Not even for a little bit.”

“No. The last thing I need is to be trapped here at night.” I smirked at her playfully as I added, “And what would your brother do?”

“Sit in that hole in the ground,” she teased. “Or foolishly come out looking for us.”

“Yes, that sounds like him.”

“You would never know we are related.” She was walking up the sandy cove in front of me, allowing me to stare at her figure without her being aware of it. There was little doubt that Daenerys was an attractive creature but given that she was so much younger than me I thought it wise to not entertain the idea. “Do you think you can take us away tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Will it rain?”

“Yes,” I laughed. “But hopefully not as hard as before.”

“Will you take us all the way?”

“I will show you to the ferry and that’s as far as I will go.”

“Why?”

“Because I cannot cross the sea,” I told her. “I must stay on this island.”

“Why?”

“Because I must.” I stretched out my legs to walk past her, not wanting to engage in the conversation any further. “We should hurry, before your brother gets worried.”

She made it a point to walk right beside me, appearing completely comfortable in my presence. “I think you should rethink it,” she said with sudden abruptness.

“I already gave you my answer.”

“And I chose to _ignore_ it.”

“You cannot ignore it,” I laughed.

“I think you are hiding something from me.”

“Considering I’ve only known you for a day, then yes.”

“Two days,” she clarified. “You met us around this time yesterday.”

“Two days.”

“I think you would be a great help to us.” Her tarnished dress fluttered in the wind behind her, revealing the truth of her figure when the wind whipped so violently in front of us.

“I don’t think I can stay in your brother’s presence for that long.”

“A necessary sacrifice.”

“I don’t understand the need to sacrifice anything,” I rebutted in a deep tenor. “My life is here.”

“Life?” she echoed with disbelief. “Struggling to live day by day.”

“As my forefathers did, and theirs before them.”

“You told me this wasn’t your life until recently.”

“Because I had done wrong,” I told her in truth. “And ill fortune came upon me, and there is nothing more to be said of it.”

“You sound resentful.”

“I sound…” My hands were placed on either side of my hips and I made it a point to look down to her. “… like a man that has learned their lesson.” I abruptly turned away from her, intent on separating myself from this woman that was steadily getting on my nerves.

“I think you are a better man than that,” she called out to me, clearly having no interest to drop the subject matter. “I see it in you.”

“I envy your optimism.”

“I speak the truth.”

I sped up my pace, taking comfort that my home was finally in my line of sight. A gale blew harder at my back, sending me to my humble home at an even faster rate. By the time I opened the door, Daenerys was like a dot in the distance. I puckered my lips fretfully, and decided to wait at the door until she reached the same spot as I.

“I’ll not hear one word of it,” I warned her, a stubby finger pointed at her chest to show her I meant it.

“You made your opinion quite clear,” she rapped out with bitterness.

“Fine by me.”

“Though I still disagree-”

“-Daenerys.”

“But as you said, the matter is finished…” She looked at me from the corner of her eye as she passed me by. “For _now._ ”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Brochan (Bro-han) is porridge  
> * Madainn mhat (MaTeen vaa) is how you would say "Good morning"


	3. The Guide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah takes Daenerys and her brother to the nearest neighbour he has on the island, and along the way he finds that Daenerys is becoming more dependent on him and his guidance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do apologize for the lengthy delay. I was on vacation in Scotland, and when I came back I had a lot of schoolwork to complete. I am happy to update this story finally :)
> 
> P.S. Any words you are not familiar with will be explained in the bottom notes.

The latch of the door clicked behind me, and when I looked towards the horizon, I could see a vague mist hovering over the distant mountains. It was the direction we must take, and it would be a long time until I see my humble stone hut again.

Fingertips glided against the cold wet stones, slick with moisture from the morning dew. The two companions were silent beside me, still trying to wake up, for it was early hours in the morning and the sun had barely shined over the distant hills and mountains.

I took the first step forward, treading over the mossy earth, the dewy grass with silver droplets dripping down the thin green tips. The air was cool against my cheeks, my eyes squinting into the morning gale that set upon me.

I saw the shadowy figure of Daenerys in the corner of my eye, and she made sure to look over her shoulder to catch my eyes before she strode forward with a certain determination. She was resolved to go back to her homeland, and that stubbornness- that will is what made her ten times stronger than her brother.

Viserys was far behind me, adorned in his French clothing, despite me trying to convince him to put on something else. His sister had no choice, but Viserys had an option to dress like a Scotsman, but he refused.

It would take us an hour to get to my nearest neighbour. If I owned a horse it would have been faster, but I could not take such luxuries with me when I was sent off in exile, and so it was my sturdy feet that led me forward over the grassy heath.

“You are sad to go,” Daenerys remarked, after I caught up to her.

“I am.”

“You are doing a great thing helping us.”

My voice was gentle as I replied, “Aye.”

“I will repay you.”

“With _what_ exactly?” I half teased, feeling more comfortable around her than I should.

“Money,” she said with some hesitation. “What else?”

“I’m not sure.” She raised an eyebrow at me, and I answered it with a kindly smile. “You may have adopted some odd French customs.”

She batted her eyelashes at me playfully. “I might have.”

I returned her sly gesture with a laugh, loud enough to echo over the rolling hills. It was a fine morning, and the golden rays of the sun were just peeking over the horizon.

“Will your neighbour help me?”

“Seamus? Yes, he will help you.”

“Why?”

“Because he is a good sort of man,” I reasoned. “A kind heart.”

“Like you?”

“Yes, I suppose so.” I felt nervous under her gaze, fearing my cheeks would blush with embarrassment. “Why do you think that?”

“I just do.” She shrugged her shoulders at me harmlessly. “You are helping us, are you not?”

“I am,” I confidently told her, which brought a tiny small across her pretty face.

I took her up higher up the hill, wanting to avoid the soft grass down yonder that had a little pool of water from the heavy rain yesterday. The ground was slippery however, so I offered my hand for her to take; to my surprise she placed her small hand inside of mine and let me support her as she stepped up the slick wet grass.

“Will it be like this all the way?”

“What will?”

“The ground being so wet.”

“It could be worse,” I laughed at her, which earned a pout in my direction. “It could, you know.”

“I don’t mind. Its just that… it makes things harder, doesn’t it?” She looked over her shoulder to see her brother struggling, his loose hair flinging to the sides of his face as he struggled to climb up the steep incline.

“Yes, it does,” I chuckled, as I watched Viserys slipping and sliding up the grassy hill. “Should I help him?”

I never gave Daenerys a chance to answer, and simply let go of her hand to assist her brother. He answered me with a sharp fling of his hand and a loud yell for me to get away from him. I vowed it would be the last time I offered any help to him, and with that I turned my back to Viserys with a dark look in my eyes.

“Ignore him,” Daenerys pleaded, but I answered her request by walking right past her. “Jorah!” I looked over my shoulder to see her hand stretched out towards me, and then I realized she was asking me for my help.

“You will need to get proper boots,” I chided out with resentment, and then walked towards her so I could take her small hand in my own. “And clothes.”

“I know.”

“You will catch a chill… or worse.”

“You are dressed well.” I looked down at my knitted turtleneck made of the softest wool, it was a dark midnight shade that contrasted sharply off my pale skin. It was my tartan kilt that caught her attention, however, a cool shade of blue as pale as the morning sky with a dark shade of green in the undertones, and thin yellow lines made with a single thread that brought a vibrancy to my well worn kilt. I watched a smile travel over her face, a brightness in her strange blue eyes.

“Thank you, Daenerys.” I found my hand tightening over hers, pleased by her subtle compliment. It was nice to have a female companion, a person to share my thoughts with again. I never realized how isolated I had been, how alone I was until that moment when I felt her staring at me again.

“Your beard keeps changing colours in the light,” she observed, and pointed forward with the greatest temptation to touch it.

“I know.”

“How?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Brown to ginger,” she relayed. “Ginger to gold.” She paused when she heard me laughing in embarrassment yet again, never liking when I became the center of attention. “But your hair does not do that.”

“No, not really.”

“Odd,” she quietly whispered, and then turned her gaze away from me to look at the lone tree atop of the hill. “It is beautiful here.”

“Aye.”

“How did I ever manage to leave it?” she breathlessly asked, and then sped up her steps as if some unknown force compelled her too.

I looked behind me to see Viserys was still struggling, but I chose to ignore him and lengthened my strides. The grassy field was covered over with a golden haze, the breeze lighter than before as I walked over its lush fields. A stream of birds fluttered through the sky, dark wings flapping higher and higher, and I secretly wondered where they were going.

Daenerys was waiting for me atop of the hill, looking at the distant rolling hills with the largest mountain she had ever seen before her. “We are not going to climb up that one, are we?”

“No.”

“Oh,” she sighed out with relief.

“We walk around it.” Her head jerked to the right, eyes widening with horror. “All the way around?”

“No.”

“I don’t think I can walk all the way around it.”

I simply pointed a finger behind me, directing it to her brother which made her break out in laughter. “I don’t think he could either.”

“He is exhausted already.”

“I worry for your brother,” I confessed, before I stepped forward to lead the way. The hill was steep, so Daenerys took my hand without a second thought, and there we tumbled forward with soft giggles as we treaded faster and faster each way.

“I’m going to fall!”

“I got you.”

Daenerys leaned into me more and let go of my hand to wrap her arm around my lower back until she rested it on the curve of my hip. “Now I won’t,” she remarked off-handily, not noticing how I nearly froze by the unexpected physical contact. “But we should slow down.”

“I was trying to keep up with you.”

“So was I.” She stopped in her tracks, making me nearly lose my step before I fell into her. She laughed lightly, and then brushed her loose hair away from her cheek in a child-like manner. I found myself looking into her eyes longer than I should, and once I realized this, I broke our gaze away with nervousness.

“We should…” I felt the breath leave my lungs. “…keep going.”

Daenerys stepped forward carefully, bending her knees slightly because the grass was so slick, and steadily we made it down the first of many hills.

“It would be easy to get lost here,” she piped up after a lengthy silence on both our ends.

“If you are not familiar with the land.”

“Have you ever gotten lost?”

“I’ve had night fall upon me when I was out in the wild, or found myself stuck in the rain… I nearly twisted my ankle when walking over a pile of stones, but no- I have never gotten lost.”

“Why not?”

“I suppose I have a good sense of direction. If I have been somewhere once, I can easily remember the layout. The way a tree is situated, the size of a stone, the angle of a hill… things such as that.” I looked straight ahead of me and pointed at the mountain. “And my people… _your_ people, we name things in our language so we can remember particular things about the landscape. It could be where wars were battled, or something to do with folktale.”

“Folktale?”

“Stories, Daenerys.”

“Yes, I know what it means,” she corrected me with something of a smug smile. “Does that mountain have a name?”

“I don’t know, but when I see Seamus I will be sure to ask.”

“How often do you visit him?”

“I’m not sure. Time means nothing here. The sun rises and sets, but its as if there is no time here. Its our imagination… meaningless.”

“When I look at the mountains’ I can see what you mean,” she casually observed, and pointed ahead where a heavy mist was descending over the black peaks of the mountain.

“It is more important to us to find a way to survive, and after that, the rest is good fortune on our side.”

Her arm was still wrapped around me, despite us being on flat terrain. I began to wonder if she wanted me to wrap my arm around her in turn, and when I finally lifted up my arm to do so, Daenerys let me go and decided to create some space. I felt confused by her gesture, but her placid expression made it hard to read her inner thoughts.

“It is chilly. Jorah? Do you mind if I put on one of your shirts?” She eyed the heavy sack at the back of my shoulders, knowing all my belongings were stored in there. “I feel the wind against my neck and-”

“-let me stop here,” I interjected, and dropped the sack against my boots so I could look inside of it. “Throw this on,” I suggested, pulling out the first item of clothing at the top of the bag. It was a light blue sweater, a favourite of mine since I knew it went well with my eyes, or so I’ve been told. “I might have something to cover your neck.”

It was amusing sight to see her covered in my clothing yet again, with only the ends of her dress falling out from the long, heavy sweater. She wrapped the knitted scarf around her neck, and then leaned to the right to loosely braid her hair for a few minutes. “It is getting everywhere,” she complained, after her brother stood beside her with an inquisitive gaze. “Your hair isn’t bothering you?”

“My feet are,” he moaned, and lifted up his sturdy leather boot that was ill-suited for this type of terrain. “How much further?”

“We have to walk around the mountain.”

“I’d die before we get there.” Daenerys cut her eyes at me with annoyance, which made me stealthily cover up my mouth in amusement.

“You won’t die,” his sister scolded. She finished the last of her braid and swung it backwards to let it stream down her small back. “We have Jorah.”

My left eyebrow raised rather reluctantly, and I had to keep my face dead straight when Viserys shot me a look of pure loathing.

“Jorah!” her brother exclaimed.

“He is our guide, is he not?” she asked with a dignified air. “Or would you rather go ahead without him.”

“No, its…”

“If it wasn’t for him, we would still be out there on that boat.”

“Shipwrecked,” I quipped softly. “The rain yesterday would have brought your boat down or tossed you over.”

“We would be dead,” Daenerys clarified. “The least you can do is be thankful.”

Viserys sneered at her with a trembling lip. “I always knew you were a whore.”

I stepped in between them, but Daenerys held me back with a firm grip. “Leave him,” she demanded, and with that I stepped away from them both. In the end I knew where I intended to go, and it was up to them to follow.

“Jorah,” was called out softly. “He says these things, but he doesn’t mean it.”

“You will have him speak to you that way.”

“No.”

“Then?”

“He has a temper,” she said from the corner of her mouth.

“I have a temper, and so do you.” She lowered her chin after my words. “But that doesn’t give him the right to say those things.”

“You are right.”

I shook my head with a sudden wave of anger. “Chan eil sgot cèille aige,” I mumbled under my breath, which earned a light touch on the side of my arm. “I said the man doesn’t have any sense,” I grumbled out to her.

“But you do.” Her hand slipped around my arm and she suddenly pulled me into her. “Thank you, Jorah.”

* * *

Daenerys looked strong and proud under the inquisitive glare of my neighbour, her eyes never leaving his even though he was studying her appearance carefully. We were standing in front of his open doorway; the man was clearly reluctant to let strangers into his household. His faithful sheep dog, Hamish, was growling low at the two foreigners, and not even my presence could dissuade him that they were perfectly safe.

The silence was broken with a rough cry of: “Dè tha seo?”

The two strangers didn’t understand the language, but they knew they weren’t welcome. I took a step forward and quickly tried to explain the situation, getting a resolute look that told me Seamus was a hard one to break. He didn’t like the look of them, and the last thing he wanted was for them to come into his house. The growls from his faithful dog grew louder, and I feared this would all be in vain.

“Jorah, what is he saying?” Daenerys demanded.

“He won’t let you in.”

“Why?”

“Because…” my words were cut off by Seamus raise of his hand, his finger pointing directly at Daenerys. “Seamus!” I yelled out defensively, once I caught a fearful look in his eyes. “Tha iad a ‘bruidhinn Beurla!”

“Beurla?” he voiced aloud in surprise. “Aye, English.”

“Yes.”

“Been a while,” he slowly mumbled.

“I know,” I conceded, as if was taking me a while to speak the common language as well.

He lowered himself to pat Hamish’s head softly, trying to calm the protective dog down. “Ciamar a chanas tu sheo?” he mumbled, and then lowered his eyebrows as he considered it. “The words escape me.”

“You have forgotten how to use it?”

“Tha!”

“All jumbled inside,” I assented. “I understand.” I took a good look at the young woman beside me, knowing she was only catching half of our conversation. “Will you help them?”

“No,” he replied in English. “That one there looks like the devil!” he bellowed out with a knobby finger pointing at Viserys’ face. “And she… she is a _witch_.”

Daenerys maintained the same facial expression as before, but I noticed how her blue eyes darkened.

“I only wonder,” Seamus huffed out with a trembling lip. “What are you?”

“The same as always.”

“No.”

“I am.”

He began to stroke the back of his dog ear, looking away from the three of us as he considered the matter. “What do you want?”

Daenerys answered him in a clear voice: “I want to go back home.”

“Jorah?” he questioned me, completely ignoring the woman’s statement.

“We need clothes for the journey,” I replied with something of a smile. “They will.”

“Aye.”

“And a horse, if possible.”

“For how long?”

“A week, maybe two.”

“Dhà?”

“Two in case we run into trouble.”

“Ohhh,” he groaned, and then scratched at his smooth chin where he recently shaved.

“I know you only have one.” He nodded his head in agreement, a worried look flashed across his face. “But we will need it to get across the island.”

Seamus took a step back, and then made a sharp whistle to make Hamish pound his feet into the wooden floor and leap outside. He was gone in a flash, sprinting towards the rolling hills where the sheep wandered about. “Gabh a-steach,” he commanded, and waved his hand for us to enter. I bent my head low since I was such a tall man and entered his household first.

“We were lucky to find you when we did,” I idly commented. “I thought you would be out in the field.”

“I’m not feeling well,” he softly replied. “My sons are out. You never ran into them?”

“They saw me from me a distance.”

“Good lads they are.”

“Gu dearbh,” I replied, which earned me a grin from the aging man. He took a seat at the main table, and then pointed at the adjoining chairs for us to be seated. Daenerys took the closest seat next to me, but Viserys took a seat so far away it made us all look at him questionably. “Tha mi duilich,” I apologized for Viserys’ behaviour. Seamus grunted loudly at my statement, and then grimaced so much it created lines across his weather-beaten face.

“My wife’s clothes might fit ya,” he stammered aloud. “Might.”

“Daenerys is small,” I agreed.

“How- how do you say it?”

“Da-ener-ys,” I broke down slowly, and watched him try to mouth out the words. “Do you think you got it?” I teased, which brought a bright shade of pink to the man’s face.

“Aye, but it is a strange name.”

“Daenerys,” I repeated, and heard him echo it under his breath softly. “And her brother… Viserys.”

“Dear Lord,” he whispered, as if he couldn’t take it anymore.

“I know.”

Daenerys was wounded by my last statement, for she uttered: “It is _our_ names, Jorah.”

“I apologize.”

“There is no sense making fun of it.”

“It wasn’t intentional,” I pleaded, and leaned forward on the desk to bring myself closer to her. “I mean it.”

“I wish the two of you would speak English,” she added, now that she was able to express her opinions.

“I am doing my best.”

“He isn’t.”

“Aye,” Seamus gruffly replied. “And I understand _every_ word that ya saying, let’s not forget that.”

“You are lucky he even let us inside of his household,” I reasoned to her. “And Seamus is doing his best.” The man in front of me nodded his head sternly, his brows furrowed the longer he looked at the silver-haired girl. “Now, let us discuss the horse.”

“I don’t want to give him up.”

“But you can,” I reminded him. “And I think you should.”

“It’s the only means of transportation if one of my boys have to travel far,” he retorted with a firmness to his voice. “And my wife will have me head if I let it go.”

“We will bring it back.”

“When?”

“Two weeks at the most, you have my word.”

“I trust your word,” he slowly stated, still trying to get used to speaking in English. “But it’s a risk.”

“A risk,” I echoed. “But you will get money for it.”

“Airgead?”

“They have money.”

The corner of his lip quirked upwards, and then a mischievous look came across his dark warm brown eyes. “Jorah…” A smirk appeared, more menacing than I would have liked. “…cia mheud?”

 _He would ask that in Gaelic,_ I thought, and shook my head at him.

“Daenerys,” I called out to break her out of her brief reverie. “How much will you give him?”

“How much does he want?”

My lips pursed tightly; it was clear I was dealing with two stubborn-headed people. “Seamus speak English, and Dany be patient.” I raised myself from my seat and added, “The two of you figure it out on your own.”

“You will not stay?” Seamus asked with regret.

“No,” I quipped out harshly, and strode towards the front door to get some fresh air.

* * *

I was staring at a bee hovering just over a lilac coloured flower buried in the heath when I heard a series of footsteps approaching me from behind. I looked over my shoulder to see the three people I had left behind in Seamus’ household sometime ago. He was limping tiredly, eyes squinting in the bright sunlight that fell from the heavens. Seamus called out my name, so I turned around to meet him halfway, knowing he wasn’t in the right condition to climb up as high as I was.

“Your friends are real funny,” he mumbled under his breath once I was standing right in front of him. “You know they barely have enough money to keep themselves alive?”

“Really?”

“Aye,” he grunted. “To think I would leave a horse in their hands.” He rubbed his hands together fretfully. “I’m sorry, but they will have to walk across the island with their own two feet.”

“It will take ages.”

“You did it.”

“I payed to be taken back on horseback at least half of the way,” I exclaimed, distressed at the potential journey I might have to undertake. “Seamus, it is sheer madness.”

“Its not like the lot of ya could fit on the back of my horse anyways.”

“Yes, but…”

“Take my advice, lad, don’t go any further with these folks.”

“Seamus.”

“Its not worth it,” he added with a soft touch in the center of my chest. “You have a house to maintain.”

“I hardly think it will fall over.”

“I can’t have one of my sons check on your house all the time. Its too far for one thing, and I have my sheep to look after. My _coo’s_ too,” he mentioned, and pointed at a hairy ginger cow off in the distance. “I’m not saying anyone will rob you of anything, but a house alone and abandoned is a great temptation.”

“You think I should stay where I am.”

“You can give them directions, can’t ya?” He watched me softly nod my head, a slight pause and then he added, “God help them wherever they go.” He looked over his shoulder at Daenerys and Viserys who were doing their best to ease-drop. “They look like they came from hell itself.” He smirked at me gleefully as he added, “Tha e fìor.”

 _It is true,_ I thought, echoing my companion’s words. _They will get hanged or burned before they reach the coastline that will take them to Scotland._

“I will be there guide,” I spoke aloud, and then rested my hands on the sides of my hips. “If you could be so kind as to get us something small to eat and we will be on our way.”

“Wee thing,” he jeered with a playful look about him. “Aye, but I’ll get ya something,” he surmised, and then led the way back to his humble home.

Daenerys made it a point to stand beside me, though her face was so stony it was hard to make her out. She was displeased, I knew, but if she had no money for a horse there was no chance of getting one. Her brother walked beside her silently as well, a gloominess seemed to be descending over them both. “It will be a long, hard journey,” I informed them both. “You are better off spending the rest of your lives with me in my little hut.”

Daenerys rebuked with me with a single look. “You think I will give up so easily.”

“I think it would not be wise journeying so far alone.”

“Will you not be our guide?” she questioned with a lowered eyebrow that showed her distress.

“To the coastline, and that is all.”

“And then what?”

“I go back home.”

“To live the rest of your days in that tiny hut.”

“Aye.”

“That sounds like a waste of your gifts.”

“Gifts?” I chuckled loud enough to get the attention of the elderly man on the other side of me.

“Your wisdom for one thing,” she rebutted, while she slid her fingers down the length of her right arm to bunch up her sleeves. “Strength for another.”

“You really want me to stay with you, don’t you?”

“I know when someone is of value.”

“For your own benefit.”

“Yes.”

“I thought- I thought,” a slight stammer showed my frustration. “That you might have _enjoyed_ my company.”

“Oh, I do, Jorah,” she sweetly replied, and leaned her arm into my own to gather my full attention. “I will be sad to part with it.”

“You have a way with words,” I rebutted, knowing what game she was playing at.

“And so do you, in your own way.”

My lips puckered outwards as I thought over her words over, and when I glanced in the corner of my eye at the man beside me, it was Seamus that was doing his best to suppress a knowing grin. “Dè?” I questioned, knowing it was the only way to get the truth out of him.

He turned to me with a smirk, a mysterious glimmer in his dark brown eyes. In barely a whisper he answered: “Is toil leatha thu.”

My head jerked backwards in surprise, and then I darted my gaze downwards to the girl that was so very ignorant of my friend’s words. _She doesn’t like me,_ I thought, but something inside of me wondered if what Seamus said was true.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:
> 
> Dè tha seo? - What is this? (Je ha shaw)  
> Tha iad a ‘bruidhinn Beurla! - They are speaking English (Ha eid a bru-yinn Be-ur-la)  
> Ciamar a chanas tu sheo? - How do you say it? (Kia-mar a ch[back of throat]-an-ash oo shaw)  
> Dhà- Two (Ga)  
> Gabh a-steach - Enter come in (Gav a-steach)  
> Gu dearbh- Indeed (Gu je-arv)  
> Tha mi duilich- I am sorry (Ha me doo-lich)  
> Airgead- Money (eid-gead)  
> Tha e fìor- It is true (Ha eh fi-ed)  
> Is toil leatha thu- She likes you (iss toll lea-a oo)


	4. Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah must find a place safe enough to stay for the night before a storm rolls in, and thankfully he has Daenerys to help him.

A heavy fog rolled over the mountain’s peak, a fair warning of the impending storm we were steadily walking towards. The blackness of the hallowed mountains was a stark contrast to the glowing green fields; stray sheep with coal black faces climbed over the rocky hillside in search of food.

My scarf was pulled over my mouth, blocking the sharp gust of winds that were coming my way. Daenerys was right beside me, her form covered in a long tan coloured coat that she borrowed from Seamus’ wife; it was much to large for her, but it kept Daenerys warm for the time being. Her brother, Viserys, was far behind us, making the journey feel longer than it needed to be due to his slow pace.

For hours we walked around the mountain, and now that we had left it far behind, we were now striding towards another one. It would take days for us to reach our destination, maybe even more if Viserys continued to walk this slow. I was half tempted to take up my neighbour’s advice and leave them to their own devices, but I knew Daenerys did not have enough knowledge to survive on this land alone.

“Where will we set up camp?” Daenerys asked beside me, her body inching closer to me as she made her small inquiry.

“There is a cave,” I told her. “Not exactly a cave, but the way the ground slopes o’er the mountain it will give us enough cover for the night.”

“How do you know this?”

“Seamus told me.”

“Then how does he know this?”

“He has lived on this land for his entire life,” I laughed. “And so, did his father, and grandfather.”

“A long line.”

“Yes,” I calmly answered her, making the tone of my voice match the present surroundings.

“Was it that way for you?” she questioned me. “Did you get to live on the same lands as your father?”

“Most countryfolk do,” I replied softly, hoping that was enough to evade her question.

“What did you do?” she nervously asked. “To force you to wander so far from home.” She looked ahead of her, taking in the thick fog rolling over the covered mountain peak. “You speak their language, but you have a different accent as Seamus.”

“Oh.”

“And you speak English fluently,” she added. “Which shows that you needed to learn it, unlike your neighbour.”

“You are very perceptive,” I admitted. “I learned the English language at an early age.”

“Why?”

“I needed it,” I simply answered her. “To talk to the low landers, for instance. There were some occasional traders as well, that benefited my people.”

“Your people,” she repeated, not missing a single word I said. “Who are they?”

“Those that belong to the Mormont clan.”

She nodded her head in understanding, and then let her sharp blue eyes glance upwards at the grey surroundings.

“You have a clan, don’t you?”

“Targaryen.”

“I never heard of them.”

She smiled thinly at me, almost menacingly like. “I’ve never heard of yours either.”

“I suppose the trouble is in the mountains,” I suggested, with a lazy pointing of my hand to the mountain up ahead. “They have a way of separating us from other people.”

“I guess.” Daenerys looked over her shoulder to take a glance at her brother. “I don’t think he can take much more.”

“His feet are probably wet,” I pointed out, knowing this part of the field was particularly muddy. “And cold and tired.”

“He doesn’t think,” she answered me back. “He nearly left the house empty-handed. What good are jewels if you can’t even keep yourself warm?”

“It was a nice ring,” I reminded her, and took a glance at the one on her own right hand that dazzled brilliantly with a deep ruby jewel in the center of it.

“Yes! Not worth the clothes your neighbour was willing to lend us.” She crossed her arms suspiciously. “What did you do to convince him to give us the clothes for free?”

“Nothing in life is free,” I told her. “I offered myself as extra labour when I get back.”

“So, you aren’t going with us?”

“No, Daenerys.”

She made a sniffling sound and then lowered her head with dismay. “We won’t get much further without your help,” she confessed lifelessly. “We already owe you so much.”

“Think of it as a kindness of a stranger,” I tiredly replied, since we were stepping up a slow incline of a hill.

“But we are not strangers, Jorah,” she meekly replied, and then took a hold of my hand to hold it in her own. “We are friends,” she piped up with glee, and then leaned her shoulder against mine to close the last of our space.

“Friends,” I agreed, but the small distance between us said otherwise.

The low baaing of sheep filled the air around us, a soft rolling of mist covered the top of my face as we passed through a dark cloud lingering over the dewy field. Daenerys walked by my side quietly, her body nuzzled against me to retain some warmth. In any other situation it would have looked romantic, but for some reason it didn’t feel that way. “Did you leave a special someone behind in France?” I asked her, though I felt somewhat guilty doing it.

“No.”

I pursed my lips tightly, and when the silence became too much I offered: “Oh,” to fill up the tense silence between us.

“No, I never met anyone,” she offered out to me in an unsteady voice.

“I only wish I could say the same.”

“I can tell you had your heart broken,” she revealed. “It’s the way you carry yourself.” She leaned into me more as she added, “You tend to close yourself off.”

“My wife, Màiri.”

“What happened?”

I looked at the distant mountain, seeing a lone tree somewhere to the right side of me that was violently blowing in the wind. The leaves were flickering in the low lightening of the evening, shining brilliantly as it caught the last rays of lighting breaking from the dark clouds. “She left me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Its not your fault,” I replied in a tense voice. I felt a gentle squeeze to my right hand, and when I looked downward Daenerys was offering me a sad sort of smile.

We walked in silence after that, Daenerys felt no more need to pry at my private life. We took our time climbing up one hill after another, and once the sky had fully darkened with only a faint yellow lighting peaking through a tiny crevice of the mountain did, I find the half enclosed space Seamus was speaking of. I removed the bag over my shoulder to settle it down where I intended to sleep for tonight, while Daenerys explored the small opening of the cave where the last of the daylight shined upon it. “Is it like a cavern?” she asked me. “Does it go on forever?”

“No, only a few more steps more and you will reach a solid wall.”

“Oh,” she spoke out with disappointment.

“We don’t have that here,” I told her. “At least not on a mountain, such as this.” I pointed upwards at the rocky ceiling that nature had created on its own. “This will be enough shelter for the night if it rains.” I opened my bag to retrieve a rolled-up blanket. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

A shuffling of rocks was heard to my left, and when I turned my head Viserys was tiredly stalking up the last of the slope. He fell to the floor dramatically, letting us know he was completely exhausted. “I want to die,” he moaned, and then spread his arms outwards so he could lay himself out on the dirt floor.

“Be careful what you ask for,” I reminded him.

“We are staying here for the night, aren’t we?”

“Yes.”

The man was unusually silent, so when I turned my head to look at him, Viserys was very nearly asleep. I shook my head in disagreement, sensing he would be no help in setting up camp.  

“Something is bothering you,” Daenerys detected, and laid a hand on the side of my arm to force my gaze onto hers. “What is it?”

“The uselessness of your brother,” I grunted, and then shed myself from her touch to lay out the blankets.

“Should we start a fire?”

“No time to gather wood, its nearly dark.”

“We could try.”

“I’m not losing you out in the dark,” I remonstrated, and then pointed at the blanket for her to lay down. “We have food, and that is enough for now.”

“The leftovers.”

“Yes.” I opened my woolen bag more to take out some tightly wrapped bread Seamus’ wife had offered to us. “With some cold meet,” I told her, and then laid our booty down in the small space between us. “I managed to convince Anna to give us more than her husband would have liked,” I sheepishly confessed. “But it will be a good long while until we have some proper food again.” I placed the meat into the thick slices of bread and handed it to Daenerys. “Eat.”

She didn’t need to be asked twice, already she was chomping down on it with a wild frenzy, a hunger that showed how long we had gone without something in our stomach. I dug my hand deeper into my bag to unearth a small flask. “Is there water in it?”

“Even better!”

She paused over her dinner, munching softly as she contemplated the matter. “What could be better than that?”

“In English it translates to the water of life,” I told her. “Usige-beatha.”

“And that means?”

“Whiskey,” I shot out with a grin, and then uncorked it to take a sip. “Try.”

Daenerys laid down her food to take up the unknown substance, peering into the opening as if it could tell her how it would taste. She eventually took a wee sip, making a face the second it burned the inside of her throat.

“Its good.”

“Ughhh,” she moaned, and quickly handed me back the flask with a look of disgust.

“You have to get used to it,” I assured her, and then took another hearty sip. “Try it again.”

“It burns.”

“Yes.”

Her hands shook nervously as she took the flask again, and under the darkling sky I saw the silhouette of her drinking my whiskey down. The pale moon illuminated the side of her face, the tan coloured cloak went well with the lightness of her hair. Her blue eyes shined eerily at me; her lips vaguely pink as she puckered them outwards. “I don’t like it,” she told me, and stretched her arm out for me to take back the flask. “I prefer water.”

“Water doesn’t warm you up.”

She never answered me, Daenerys returned to eating her forgotten sandwich that rested over her lap. I turned my gaze to the lifeless body stretched out across the dirty ground, wondering how it was even possible for him to lay there. “Your brother doesn’t care for a blanket.”

“I don’t think he can move, even if he wanted too.”

“He could catch a cold.”

“So, I’ve told him before,” she sighed. “Sometimes it feels like I am the eldest.” She heard me laugh, and then blinked at me with wonder. “What is it?”

“I only agree.”

She shifted across the blanket to bring her body closer to me. “If only I met you at the beginning of my journey. How much easier life would be?”

“It’s a good thing your brother spotted my boat,” I surmised. “For I would have hidden behind that rock until you sailed away.”

“Yes,” she drawled out lightly, and then laid down the sandwich to have a better look at me. There was something different in that moment, a tension that was hard to put into words. I licked my bottom lip unconsciously, unsure why she had grown so quiet at that moment.

“Daenerys?”

“Dany,” she answered me in a low tenor. “I want you to call me that.”

“Alright,” I hushed.

“My family calls me that, but I want you to say it as well.”

“Very well,” I woodenly replied, unsure the implications behind her words.

“Will you say it then?”

“Dany.”

“Yes,” she replied with a shadow of a smile, I could see the thin traces of it in the moonlight.

“I’m afraid you must still call me Jorah,” I lightly teased, to fill up the odd silence again.

“I like it,” she confessed with closed lids. She only opened it when I shifted my body forward, stretching out my legs so it could extend to the far end of the blanket. “You haven’t finished your dinner.”

“A little distracted,” I nervously replied.

“By me, Jorah?”

“No,” I lied, and then took a large bit of the sandwich to keep me from saying anything else. Daenerys sensed she would get nothing out of me, so she continued the rest of her meal again. We sat there in silent contentment, comfortable enough to enjoy the sound of nature all around us: the soft evening breeze rustling through the short grass, the howling noise it made as it brushed into the corner of the rocky enclosed area overhead, the distant cries of birds as they sailed through the twilight sky. I stretched out myself to the fullest, resting on the back of my arms and elbows as I took in the sliver of a silver moon. Daenerys was finishing up the last of her bread, her body leaning in my direction ever so slightly.

“Where will we go tomorrow?”

“West.”

“Same direction.”

“Until we reach the port where a ferry will take you home.”

“The same port you took to get here?”

“Yes.”

“Will you be alright?”

My voice was wooden as I replied, “I will be just fine.”

“Are you not allowed back?”

“I _choose_ not to go back.”

“So, you could…” Her body inched itself closer to me until the sides of our legs were touching. “…if you wanted too?”

“It would be difficult,” I revealed. “But I could.”

“Will you?”

“My life there is over,” I informed her. “My new one begins here.”

I crawled over to my bag to unearth a smaller blanket, thinner than the others I had carried with me. I laid it over Viserys, uncertain of whether he was even aware of what I was doing. Satisfied, I crawled my way back to my own blanket and laid myself down upon it. Without warning Daenerys pulled out the second one crumbled around my feet and pulled it over our frames. “We should stay warm,” she proposed, and then brought herself closer until our bodies were nearly touching. “Will it get colder?”

“It might rain,” I answered her in barely a breath.

“Do you think it will?”

“I don’t feel it.”

“You can feel it?”

“Yes, Dany.” I noticed her body jerked slightly after I uttered her chosen name, moving backwards before she rolled herself closer to me. I felt her knee brush against mine, and when I looked downwards, I could see our bodies were nearly touching. I held my breath, taken back by the closeness of her.

“I don’t feel it,” she muttered softly through barely parted lips.

“I lived here for all my life.” I paused and found the lids of my eyes closing as a strong breeze blew over the side of my face. “Its something I just know.”

“I see.”

The wind blew stronger, so I ducked my head under the blankets and curled my body inward, unintentionally rubbing my legs against her own.

“Its cold.” Her voice was soft, almost emotionless under the covers. “Jorah?”

“Yes,” I answered her in a low tenor, striving to see her in the darkness, but the blankets blotted out the last of the moonlight.

“Are you cold?”

“A little.”

There was a pause in our conversation, and I was unsure where she was going with this.

“I guess you are used to it,” she surmised with a hint of resentment.

“Cold and the rain, then yes.”

“I’ve stayed to long in France,” she fretted aloud. “No one will want to serve me.”

“I would.”

I felt a soft stroking at the side of my arm, an incident that made me hold my breath by the suddenness of it. “I believe you.”

Silence fell over us again, a strain was felt as she continued to stroke the top of my arm, feeling the smooth ridges where it curved over into my shoulder blade. A soft sniffle was heard, and then a low sigh as she tried to fall asleep. “I feel really comfortable around you,” Daenerys confessed. “It is strange.”

“I’m not sure why you feel this way.”

“I can trust you,” she answered me back with confidence, before she let her hand wander down the length of my arm to only fall on the floor.

“Yes, you can.”

“And you’re a man of your word.”

“Aye.”

I heard her laugh lightly, and then she shifted her body closer to me until her arm rested over my own, falling downwards onto the curve of my back. “Dany?”

“Yes.”

“Do you… am I…” I stammered out, unsure if I was even reading this right. “Are French women fond of touching men?”

“I’m not French,” she simply replied.

“No, you’re not.”

“But I’m not sure what I am doing,” she surmised, and then let her hand slide downwards until it rested over my lower spine. “But at least you are keeping me warm.”

My voice was high-pitch as I answered: “Aye.” I could feel my fingertips digging into the blankets, knowing my body was too keen to lay my hands all over her.

“I’m not cold anymore,” was all that she said, before she tucked her head into the top part of my chest and curled her arm around me more. “Bonne nuit, Jorah,” she lightly teased, and even though I didn’t know a word of French I could only assume she was wishing me a good night.


	5. Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning they find themselves trapped in a rainstorm, but Jorah does his best to make the most of the situation.

“Get up!” My foot rolled Viserys over, brushing his long black cloak into the dry dusty earth, smearing the fabric until it no longer looked brand new. It was late in the morning, and we should have been up and gone a long time ago if it wasn’t for the heavy downpour overhead.

“Get off me,” he shrilled, and then staggered upwards with an uneasy sense of balance. “Don’t touch me!”

“Then wake up then,” I argued back, and settled my hands over my hips to increase my size in front of him.

The man sniffled loudly in front of me, and then turned around to spit somewhere over a rock. “Its cold,” I heard him wail, before he dragged his hands over the side of his arms wearily. His long white hair was curling over, damp from the heavy mist that fell over us sometime last night. He looked pale and sickly, and I wouldn’t be surprised if an illness fell upon him.

“There is some food to eat,” I told him in a low tenor, and pointed to the small morsel of food I had left for him. “Your sister already ate.”

“Of course, she did,” he shrilled, as he staggered towards me. The high black collar brushed over his jawline, making his appearance even more unnerving than before. “What is that?”

“Bread,” I told him. “With some slab of beef.”

“And?”

“You can have some of my whiskey if you’d like.”

“I won’t drink that awful piss,” he grunted, and immediately crumbled over the floor where his breakfast was set up for him.

“Viserys!” his sister called out behind me. “Be thankful you have anything offered to you at all.”

He ate his food loudly while his bright sapphire coloured eyes glared hard at us, it was clear there was a division between us, a wall that was growing taller with each passing day.

I took a step to the right and edged myself closer to the rock ceiling that was currently blocking out the rain. “I’m going to take a bath,” I told them, and immediately stripped off my wool turtleneck to toss it on the ground behind me. Slowly I walked over to my woolen bag, noticing how keen Daenerys was to watch me as I walked past her view. I stooped low to search for a towel to dry myself off for later, and then tossed it at the edge of my makeshift bed where my turtleneck was. “Don’t come looking for me, even if I take a while.”

“Is there a river nearby?”

“No, there’s the rain,” I told her, before I closed my eyes to shed off my yellow linen shirt as well. I tossed it lightly on the ground beside me, ignoring Daenerys curious gaze, and then sat down on the dark woolen blanket with a midnight shade of blue.

“You will bathe yourself in the rain?” she questioned me, her voice sounding far off in the distance as she stood somewhere behind my back.

“Its better than nothing.”

“Won’t you be cold?”

“Yes.”

I heard soft footsteps treading forward, and soon enough she was standing beside me. “You won’t get sick?”

“I know what I’m doing, Dany.”

There was a gasp to my left, and a shrill of: “Why did he call you that?”

“Because she asked me too,” I answered him in a monotone voice.

“Dany!”

She repeated the same thing as myself, an answer that displeased her brother greatly. “He has no right to call you that.”

“He is my friend,” she answered him, without a moment of hesitation. “And Jorah has sacrificed a lot for us.”

Viserys grumbled under his breath, throwing the last of his bread into the pelting rain outside of the cave.

“You could have eaten the rest of that!” Daenerys screamed, absolutely frustrated with her brother. I ignored them both and simply removed my high white socks, rolling them up neatly before I placed them inside of my dark leather _bròg_. “Why are you wasting the only food we have?”

I looked over my shoulder to see them rather close together and could only assume their argument would worsen once I leaved the open cave. Normally I would have stayed, but my patience was reaching its breaking point, and to avoid any injury to Viserys person I decided to walk to the cave’s edge and removed my kilt there. I placed it over a solid rock that was elevated off the ground and walked straight into the pouring rain without a care in the world. My feet were cold and wet as I stepped over the slick white rocks, descending downwards where I spotted a pool of water below. It was possible to drink from that deep grove in the rock, enough water to satisfy my dry throat this morning. Bare naked I walked through the stormy gale, noticing how dark the clouds were overhead as the rain pelted down on me. I squinted into the dim lighting, feeling a slight shiver ran down my lower spine after a gust of wind blew at the back of me. My steps were quicker, and once I got to the bottom did, I found myself standing in front of a large raven, its feathers jet black as it spread it widely before me. Its attempt to intimidate me failed, and despite me being as vulnerable as I possibly could I lifted up a rock for extra measure and descended the rest of the way where the pool of water was all too tempting for the both of us. Ravens were known for attacking baby lambs, but to aggressively attack a man such as myself would be unusual- almost impossible.

I made a sound to frighten it off, and then tossed the rock right beside it so it could get my meaning, the raven flew into the sky and then out beyond the horizon where I could no longer see it. Quickly I scampered over, cupping my hands together to drink in the icy water. It was cool to the taste, refreshing, a nice contrast to the whiskey I had been sipping for the last twelve hours. “Tha seo blasta,” I mumbled, before I took one more cupful of rain to drink down. I swallowed heavily over the curved rock, and then leaned forward to catch my reflection: my blonde hair curled over tightly from the rain, but my light ginger coloured beard had beads of water dangling down it. I looked almost wild in appearance; a thing that made me laugh. I brushed my wet bangs back and then let out a howl, like the true animal I felt inside. _A bear,_ I thought, and than padded my way up the slippery rocks to make my way back to the cave.

As I edged myself closer, I found a thin slab of rock, large enough to cover myself in the front. Steadily, I rounded the corner and noticed the eerie silence coming from the cave, so I lifted another rock off the ground in case I needed to use it on Viserys. _I shouldn’t have left my sword with him,_ I realized, and began to fear for Dany’s life.

I rounded the corner of the cave and peaked inside to see them sitting on opposite ends of the cave in silence. Relieved, I stepped forward and entered the dry cave, in which Dany immediately stood to her feet with all her attention on me. I offered her a shy smile, and then walked to the right with the rock still covering me. “There is an area for you to drink water if you are still thirsty,” I informed them both. “But its down yonder, and you might have to put up a fight with a large raven.”

“I don’t understand how you managed to be out in the cold,” Viserys spat out, completely ignoring my words of council.

I ignored him, and bent forward to reach for my dry towel, thinking it was best to dry myself off.

“I want to take a bath,” Dany said from her corner of the cave. “Is the drinking water far off?”

“Yes, I would have to show you.”

I was just laying the rock down on the ground when I heard her removing her cloak, and stealthily applied the towel to the front of me as I watched her cloak carelessly being tossed over the top of our makeshift bed. “Then show me,” she instructed in a firm voice, before she walked away from me to stand near the edge of the cave edge. “But you will have to promise me, you won’t look.”

“I won’t.”

“Dany,” Viserys shrilled, his voice teething with anger. “Don’t!”

“You can’t tell me what to do.”

“I will not have you undress in front of him.”

“Its too late,” she told him, and removed her long dress to show she wore nothing underneath it. I dropped my towel at the sight of her, and then immediately picked it up to cover myself again. Daenerys stepped out into the rain and I almost thought she was a vision.

“Dany!” Viserys cried out, but he wouldn’t dare enter the pouring rain to run after her. “You! This is your fault.”

“She made up her own mind,” I dryly remarked. “I cannot stop her.”

“You make her into some kind of whore!”

“I’ve done nothing of the kind,” I told him, and then lifted up the slab of rock to cover the front of me before I went after her. “Dany!” I yelled out into the rain, feeling the wind was blowing the harsh droplets of rain into my eyes.

“I’m right here,” she said beside me, which made me turn my head to see her leaning up against a rocky wall with one hand covering her private part. She had no qualms for me to look at her perk breasts, only a faint blush of her cheeks betrayed her. “You promised you wouldn’t stare.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Show me the area where I can drink the water.”

“It will be slippery.”

“I will walk slow,” she reasoned, and then pointed her hand upwards so that I could lead her. I followed Daenerys instructions, informing her of any slippery rocks she may encounter as we descended the rocky hill. She was truly something else, unbothered by the rain that was coming down on us. Daenerys was quiet, only speaking when she had something important to say. It was better that way, the wind howled around us, and the rain made it hard for me to navigate my surroundings. It was foolish to be out here, but I couldn’t help but think it made me feel more alive.

“No raven,” I told her, and then pointed at the elevated rock with the deep grove over top of it, which made the water naturally pool itself inside of it like a fountain. Water was bubbling over the edge as Dany leaned forward to drink it, looking pleased as ever. I stood to the side to simply watch her, seeing the white tendrils of hair curling over her upper back. She was bewitching in the rain, and when she finally looked in my direction, I couldn’t help but stare back. She caught the look in my eyes, and then lowered her own slightly.

“You promised.”

“I’m not looking at that,” I told her in truth, and found my feet stepping towards her. Daenerys brushed her long hair back and flickered her eyes towards me and the pool of water in the curved rock. I made her nervous, I realized, and then stopped in my tracks to maintain some distance. She squinted at me in the rain, her eyelashes heavy with droplets as she tried to see me. A hand reached out to me suddenly, and then she grasped my hand tightly the moment they were connected. She pulled me towards her, until there was a small space between us, and then she went on her toes to lightly kiss me on my cheek. Her toes settled downwards on the ground, and then she offered me a harmless smile to share her delight with me.

“Thank you, Jorah,” was all that she said, and then used her left hand to rub it over the front of my chest. I watched her subtle movements, feeling the warmth of her skin against my cold body. A heavy breath left me when she removed her hand, making me realize I was holding my breath for some time. “We should go back,” she deliberated aloud, and then tightened her grip in my own to lead me forward. I followed her helplessly, unaware of my present surroundings when all I kept looking at was her. She felt my earnest gaze but ignored it, choosing to look straight ahead where our cave must have been.

It wasn’t until we got to a sharp incline and I watched her climb up it with both hands that I realized she had long forgotten to cover herself, and with that knowledge I tossed the rock out of my right hand and helped her up a particularly tricky area. “We should have walked back the same way,” I yelled into the rain.

“This looked more challenging,” she mockingly replied, and then climbed up it faster than before to leave me in the dust. “Come on, Jorah.”

Being such a tall man, I nearly stepped over one rock and then the other, until I stood directly in front of her. “Too easy.”

She laughed at me in the rain, making it ring with the hallowing wind overhead us. I wanted to kiss her then, but I refrained, and forced my gaze to look at the far distant horizon where a heavy fog laid over it.

“Is that west?”

“That is where we must go, then yes.”

“With all those mountains and hills,” she replied with despair.

“Aye.”

“It will take us ages.”

“It will,” I confirmed. “But I will help you get there.”

She reached for my hand and held it fondly, looking down at our joined hands that were slick with moisture. “Thank you, Jorah,” was all that she said to me, before she tugged at my hand lightly to lead me back to the cave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:
> 
> bròg - shoe/boot  
> Tha seo blasta (Ha shaw blasta) - This is tasty


	6. Abandonment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viserys' temper reaches an all-time high, and when he finally lashes out he is met with opposition, and it comes in the shape of Jorah Mormont.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent the morning trying to reteach myself Scottish Gaelic again, and luckily for you guys it gave me enough inspiration to write this chapter. Enjoy the angst!

I made sure the large slab of stone was well-positioned in front of me before I approached the cave. It would be at my peril that I walked fully naked into the open cave, knowing Viserys level of frustration was already at its peak. I made sure I was the first to enter, slyly looking over my shoulder to ensure Daenerys was close behind. Her cheeks blushed profusely once we made eye contact, making me wonder what was going on in her mind.

“You came back!” Viserys rapped out heatedly before he stormed towards us. “Been gone long enough.”

I looked almost apologetic as I answered him: “We were just-”

“-what have you done to my sister?”

“I was-”

“-Daenerys!” Viserys interrupted. He side-stepped me, avoiding my large figure completely before he awkwardly pinched his fingers on the bottom of her chin. “I never knew you were so determined to be a _whore._ ” She answered him with a cold look, the lids of her eyes squinting angrily. “I don’t know exactly what you are planning but getting into bed with him will not take us home.” He dropped his hand fiercely, doing his best to hold back his anger. “Sweet sister,” he mockingly relayed. “Save the beauties of your body for someone more worthy, as I have told you countless times before.” He took a step back with purpose, letting his hands stealthily slip behind him. His voice was low, sinister-like as he added, “When I take my rightful place it will be you, Dany, that will be our sacrificial lamb. You will marry to bridge any alliances necessary to secure our _homeland._ ” Viserys turned his head sharply to me, looking me up and down with obvious disapproval. “He is beneath you.” His piercing blue eyes glided away from me with disinterest. “He will take us to the edge of the island, and that will be the end of it.” The corner of his lip quirked upwards. “Fucking him would be a waste of time. Save your precious virginity for one that truly matters.”

Daenerys straightened her back fiercely, challenging her brother with her eyes alone.

“And what is that look for, I wonder.” Viserys took a step forward, wishing to intimidate his sister. “Do you wish to awaken the dragon?”

“No.”

“Then?” he questioned and stared at her hard till an icy silence fell in between them.

Viserys turned away suddenly and went to the other end of the cave. It appeared that their conversation was officially over, and all that was left was a tense silence between the two siblings.

I took a few strides into the darkness and came back to Daenerys side with a dry towel in hand. Wordlessly I handed it over to her and let her dry herself off first.

“Jorah,” the white-haired man called out. “I should like to speak to you.”

I left his sister’s side, striding forward silently until I stood beside the man that was currently staring at damp brown wall in front of him; water droplets splashed at the side of me as I stood next to the cave’s opening, feeling the icy wind brush against my bare skin to let goosebumps rise over the length of my arms. “Yes.”

“I don’t know what game you are playing at, but my sister is destined for something greater than you.” His voice was tense when he uttered it, shaking with anger. “I will warn you once, and once only. Stay-away…” He looked over his shoulder to study my facial expression carefully. “From her.”

I let my left eyebrow raise in front of him, hardly amused by this man’s temper. Silently I stepped away from him and returned to my makeshift bed where Daenerys was lingering. She handed me the towel silently, obviously hearing her brother’s words, and with a hesitant look she stepped away from me. I laid the towel over my chest wearily, half believing the events that had just occurred. Sadly, I patted the towel over the front of my chest, slightly annoyed at the worm of the man that I had to share the cave with.

“What are we having for lunch?” Viserys called out from his end of the cave. I ignored him and settled down on the ground to drag the towel over my arms and hands. “I asked a question!”

“You want nothing to do with him!” Dany shouted back. “So, I guess we will have to fend for ourselves.”

“I want him to have nothing to do with _you,_ ” the man sneered with a wild temper.

I threw the towel over my shoulders and looked down at my bare feet, seeing how filthy they were when smeared with the dirt of the earth. I was rubbing the soles of my feet into the blanket when I heard the pursing argument behind me. “The problem with you, Viserys, is that you can’t treat anyone with respect.”

“I hardly think fucking him would show respect!”

I rolled my eyes at the continual bickering and grabbed the towel behind me to drag it across my legs as well.

“I have heard of enough from you! I went out there to take a bath and that is all.”

“You think me an idiot.”

I closed my eyes in agony and wondered if it was wise to seek refuge outside of the cave.

“I do!”

“I will pretend to not hear such blasphemy from you,” he warned, after he finally turned around to face her. “When I am leader-”

“-you would make a terrible one.”

“When I am leader,” he repeated in a much louder voice. “You can fuck whoever you want, but until then you stay _pure._ ” He eyed my sword resting on the top part of my bed, looking like he wanted to use it against his sister.

I stood up to my feet fully naked without a care. “One more word from you and I will send you out the cave and into the rain.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

I turned my head steadily to his sister and seeing that she was of the same mind of me, I suddenly leaped forward to pick up the sword and pointed it at my opponent. “Go.”

“Put it down, Jorah.”

“Go,” I repeated in a much deeper tone of voice. The man laughed at me in pure mockery, a thing that suddenly made me fling the sword down on the ground and stride towards the man in angry fury. His collar was taken a hold of, and before he had time to react, I pushed him out into the pouring rain. The man looked alarm, and desperately tried to run back in but with a single push he was out in the rain again.

“Dany!” he screamed, realizing I had no intention of letting him back in.

“Stay out in the cold, Viserys,” she replied in a monotone voice, after she took her place by my side. She was wearing her beige coloured dress again, clutching my borrowed sweater against the front of her chest.

“Dany?”

I turned my back to the man with annoyance and strode over to my side of my cave where my clothes were laid out.

“Dany!” He shrilled out in anger, with his hands clutched tightly beside him.

“You heard what I said.”

The man clothes were drenched at this point, his white hair curling over in tight tendrils till he looked almost ghostly. He lost his nerve suddenly, storming back in to take a hold of his sister with his hand over her throat. I found myself taking a hold of the hilt of my sword and slashing it across the side of his arm that was still holding Daenerys. He yelped in pain, caught off guard by the sharp steel that went deep into his arm, and then made a painful grunt when I rammed my foot into the side of him to make him stumble out of the cave. I raised up the hilt of my sword protectively, standing in front of Daenerys so he knew he would have to get through me to touch her again. “The next time will be worse,” I softly stated, as I did my best to hold back my anger.

Viserys trembled in pain, clutching the side of his arm that was steadily dripping in blood.

“Don’t come back until morning,” I told him, and then turned around to take a hold of Daenerys to lead her deeper into the cave. “Stay here,” I warned, and then left her to continue to dress myself.

I watched the shivering man as I threw on my woolen turtleneck, letting it lay over my kilt neatly. The man stood out in the cold wind, shaking violently as the storm worsened over him. I gave him a look of warning, knowing if he passed over the threshold I would slice him even deeper with my sword this time.

“Jorah,” Daenerys simpered once we finally made eye contact. She waited until I was closer, before she batted her eyelashes at me with regret.

“He touched you,” I muttered. “Has he done that before?”

She lowered her gaze from me, embarrassed by my question.

“He has,” I realized aloud, and then laid a gentle hand on the top of her shoulder. “I am sorry.” Daenerys eyes closed regrettably. “He will not touch you like that again,” I promised her. My hand slipped away from her body, and then I left her in the darkness of the cave. I stood at the edge with my sword hanging down my side, my bare feet pressed against the cold floor as I stared at the ghostly man before me. “I don’t want to see you until morning.”

“So, you can fuck her!”

“I don’t want to see you,” I drawled out softly. “And you have my word that no harm should come to your sister.”

“As if I’m supposed to _believe_ you.”

“It is not my concern whether you believe me or not,” I stated clearly. “But as long as you are traveling with me, I will not have Daenerys come to harm.” I stepped into the rain, unbothered by the hard rain pelting down on me. “I don’t care where you go and find shelter, but until the sun shines tomorrow morning you are not allowed here.”

“Who are you to tell me what to do?”

“Jorah Mormont,” I bellowed deeply.

“A nobody.”

“How wrong you are,” I breathed out lightly, and then turned my back to him with disdain. When I looked over my shoulder the Targaryen was leaving us, and I had no desire to consider where he would seek refugee tonight. “Daenerys sit,” I ordered. “There isn’t much, but we will have our lunch now.”

The woman timidly walked to her side of the blanket, staring down at the floor to avoid eye contact with me at all costs. I took that as a bad sign, and immediately laid a hand over her left shoulder to get her attention. She refused to look at me, so I bent down on the floor beside her, and once I stretched out my legs beside her did I speak up. “You are embarrassed.”

“My brother has a temper, I told you that.”

“A temper is one thing, but Viserys has no respect for you.”

“I suppose your right.”

“He placed his hand over your throat,” I reminded her. “He calls you names that are beyond degrading.”

“He doesn’t mean it.”

“Why do you defend him?”

“He is my brother.”

“He is your blood yes,” I admitted. “But if he truly loves you… than he wouldn’t do that to you.”

“You know nothing of my family, or what the Targaryens are like,” she rebutted sharply.

“I know nothing,” I admitted. “But I know how a woman should be treated, and it is nothing like that.” She lowered her head fretfully, until her gaze fell over the blankets that covered her legs. “Your brother may be a leader one day, but I know for a fact that you would be a far _superior_ one to him.” I laid a gentle touch over her hand in comfort. “But that will never happen if you allow him to treat you that way.”

She nodded her head in understanding, and then raised her head to look out at the storm. “You are right,” she answered me in a lifeless voice.

I let my hand grow tighter over hers, after I let out a tired sigh of defeat. The sound of rain was soothing, despite of the recent events we had just incurred. “You need to eat.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You will be,” I told in truth, and then reached into my heavy sack to take out some food. “Its not much, but its something.”

“We’d be lost without you,” she muttered as she watched me searching for the last of our food.

“I think you are strong enough to survive on your own,” I assured her.

“You do?”

“I think you’re stronger than you know.”

* * *

I was watching her carefully once she wandered outside of the cave. The sun’s rays had finally peaked over to our side of the mountain, and I knew she was worried for her brother. Daenerys had been uncommonly silent the whole night, and her distance had made our relationship rather uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure if she was angry with me, or if she was struggling with guilt, but whatever it was had created a division between herself and I.

“I am sure he is fine,” I shouted behind her. “He can’t have gone far.”

She wrapped the knitted scarf around her neck more, letting the ends of it fall over her back as she strode out further into the wilderness. I followed her quickly, leaving our belongings in the cave so I wouldn’t lose sight of her.

“Dany?” I questioned, after I positioned myself by her side, and studied her steely expression carefully. “What is it?”

“He’s alive,” she said without energy, or even emotion for that matter. Her gaze was looking downwards at the bottom of the mountain, and there Viserys was, curled up in a little ball in a field of dewy moss. “I don’t know how I feel about that.”

I turned my head to her sharply, caught off guard by her words. “What do you mean by that?”

“I don’t know,” she lied, and then lifted the ends of her dress before she stepped down the rocky descent. It took us a while to reach Viserys, but when he we did it was nearly at the bottom of the mountain. Daenerys was the first to touch him, shaking him violently to stir him awake. He mumbled an inarticulate response, confused by his surrounding. “Wake up, Viserys.”

“Hmmm,” he mumbled, and opened his mouth slightly before he sniffled loudly. The lids of his eyes moved around as if he was looking around in his sleep, and only when his sister shoved him hard on his arm that he awakened. “Ouch,” he cried out, and opened his eyes to look at the open wound of his arm that he left exposed overnight.

“He will get an infection,” I noted, and then gave a concerned look to the woman beside me. “He didn’t even bother to bind it up.”

“With what exactly?” Viserys exclaimed with bitterness. “Tell me, what was I supposed to use?”

“Your coat for one thing.”

The man grunted in front of me, and then squirmed in the patch of grass as he tried to lift himself up.

His sister placed a hand over his chest as she observed, “You look unwell.”

“I was out in the rain for god knows how long,” Viserys complained. “Bleeding! And you are surprised that something is wrong with me.” He sat up further, sitting upright so he could glare at the two of us with pure hatred. “I imagine you two had a good fucking last night while I was-”

“-we did nothing,” Daenerys quickly interjected. “Viserys! Have you learned your lesson?”

“Am I a child?” he gibed. A look of loathing came across his face, before he used his good arm to brush back his long bangs. “The only lesson I learned is not to trust you, or _him_ either.” His boots dug into the ground before he staggered upwards, his body moved slowly as if he was an old man. “Now take me to the cave so I can dry off.”

It was my turn to address him, and with a hard press against his shoulder to bring him back down to the ground I uttered, “Not until I have your word that you will not touch her.”

“She is my sister I can do as I please.”

“Your word,” I warned with a firm grip over his rounded shoulder.

“You heard me!”

“Viserys!” his sister screamed out, loud enough to echo over the mountainside. “Enough.”

He breathed out loudly from his open mouth, his eyes blazing with uncontrollable anger.

“I will take Daenerys to the edge of this island, with or without you,” I uttered in a low tone of voice. “Do I have your word?”

“Are you threatening me?” Viserys cried out with his hands shaking before him.

“Make your decision.”

“He’s threatening me!” He screamed out, just as loud as his sister. “Do you know who I am?” He raised a hand to try and push me, but I quickly grabbed his wrist and turned it sharply until he yelled out in pain. “Let me go!”

I flung his wrist back to him, letting it smack against his chest until he fell back to the mountainside. Abruptly I stood to my feet, and lifted Daenerys up as well from behind. “We’re going,” I told her, and took a hold of her arm to steer her forward. She was looking back at her brother sniveling like a child, and then pulled back her arm to get me to stop. “Wait,” she commanded, and then returned to her brother’s side without me. She crouched in front of him, letting her eyes linger over the deathly pale figure that curled up in a ball in front of her. “You’re pathetic,” she mouthed out gravely, which made him snivel out louder. “You are no _dragon._ ”

“Whore,” he sneered from the corner of his mouth. “Go back to him, just like you’ve done to all the others.”

“I want you to come with us.”

“I can survive on my own.”

“You will die out here.”

“We’ll see about that,” he uttered, before he staggered off the ground with a proud look about him. I watched them from a distance, taking in the sheer size of Viserys as he stood on higher ground.

“We aren’t in France anymore.”

“No.”

“Then come with us,” she entreated. “Don’t be a fool.”

“You’re the fool, Dany,” he sighed out with regret, and with that he stepped past her and descended the mountainside alone.

I let a few moments pass by, before I turned my back to them as well. I thought it best to wait in the cave until Daenerys made up her mind, and if she chose to follow her elder brother than at least I had the right to make my way homewards.

Blankets were rolled up and the cave was swept over one last time with my eyes before I knew I was packed for the long journey ahead . It wasn’t until I was standing outside the cave that I caught sight of Daenerys, her slow movements told me she had some regret in abandoning her brother.

“You did the right thing,” I assured her, but she gave me no reply. “It was his decision.”

“He will live to regret it.”

“He will not survive out here on his own,” I informed her gravely. “I am sorry.”

“Should we follow him?”

“If you’d like, but it might make us side-tracked.” I rubbed my hand over my beard as I contemplated, “I don’t even think he knows where he is going.”

“I can’t let him die out here on his own.”

“What happens if you return home without him?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged her shoulders at me solemnly, letting her eyes fall away from me with remorse. “He is a man…”

“He has the right to reclaim his home.”

“Will you be upset if we follow him?”

“I will only hate my own stupidity,” I joked. “To follow him, means it will take even longer to reach our destination.” I sighed loudly as I let my eyes drift upwards to the grey sky. “And winter is coming.”

* * *

Our movements were slow as we walked along the flat terrain, spotting Viserys dark figure up ahead along the horizon. Daenerys had been silent for most of the journey, afraid that her brother would continue his stubborn course of action. I took note of the route we were taking, knowing the past two hours was only leading us astray. I was walking over unknown territory, a part of the land that could stretch out forever without any food or resources, or even people for that matter. “We should turn around,” I advised to Daenerys again, since the mid-day sun revealed the flatness of the terrain. “There won’t be any source of water or food.”

“I have to follow him.”

“We will starve out here,” I warned her. “There are no trees or vegetation. I could look for something small to eat off the ground, but it won’t be much. There aren’t any animals wondering about… this is foolish, Dany.”

She stopped in her tracks, and then shook her head painfully at me. I watched her teeth bite down on her bottom lip, the way her eyebrows lowered with worry. “I can’t leave him.”

“It is his decision,” I reminded her. “But I have never been here, as I have told you before.” I outstretched my arm so I could reach for her hand, holding it tightly so she could understand the depth of my concern. “We have fine weather for now, but it won’t last long. Another hour and we could have a storm over our head, and you see no shelter.” I looked over my shoulder to prove my point, seeing we were standing in nothing but a wasteland. “Only flat terrain and large rocks, and I cannot survive on rocks, Dany.” She laughed at my comment, and then nodded her head in agreement. “The food will last us until tonight, and that’s it.” She let out a sigh of remorse, knowing my words were true. “And the way I see it, if there is no sheep wandering about or lamb than its best to get away from here.”

“Why?”

“There is no vegetation,” I told her. “And no highlander for miles, and I can’t be out in the wilderness like this… neither can you.”

She fell into my chest in a fit of worry, allowing physical contact that she had been holding off for far too long. I let my arms wrap around her, holding her close so she could feel some sense of comfort. “I want him to be safe.”

“I can’t save him.”

“All he had to do was give you his word.”

“I know.”

I felt her hands wander up my spine, feeling the soft fabric of my linen shirt. I looked down to see her pale cheek pressed against my bare chest, the deep opening of my shirt allowed her to feel my warm skin. She looked comfortable in my arms; a thing that made my eyes squint with pleasure. “We should head back now before its too late.”

Daenerys withdrew herself from me and looked ahead where her brother’s figure was barely distinguishable now. “He doesn’t even look back.”

“He hasn’t since he left us.”

“I want him to look back.” I nodded my head at her sadly, closing the lids of my eyes as I sensed her pain. “He will die out here.”

“He may,” I submitted. “Or some miracle may happen, you never know.”

“I have followed him long enough,” she surprisingly remarked. “Let us turn back around.”

“It will take us the rest of the day to get back where we were, or at least on the right track. I will have to find that hill again.”

“The one where we could see the distant mountains.”

“And behind the mountains will be a loch.”

“And a stream,” she remembered.

“And a small village,” I continued. “Where we can put our money together to buy us a horse.”

“And a place to sleep.”

I smiled at her unwillingly, liking the way her face brightened suddenly. “You don’t like sleeping under the stars, Daenerys?”

“I would like a place that is warm and comfortable,” she answered back teasingly. “And a nice comfy bed.”

 _For us to share,_ I unwillingly thought, and then broke my gaze from her suddenly.

“We should go,” she uttered, after she took note of my silence. “I can’t even see Viserys anymore.”

“He’s gone,” I assented, and then took a hold of her hand to lead her forward. “And so must we be as well.”

“It will be a long journey, and I am tired already.” She was lagging behind me, taking unsteady steps to show her exhaustion. Without warning I broke my hand from hers and lifted her off the ground, making her eyes widen with surprise once I held her in both of my arms. “Jorah?”

“I can’t take your complaining,” I lied as I carried her over the dry patch of grass.

“What are you doing?” she cried out; the look of astonishment still lingered over her person. “You won’t carry me all the way?”

I lifted her up higher, pressing her body against my chest as I strode forward with a certain determination.

“Jorah?”

“Hush.”

“Jorah!” she laughed, completely taken back by my behaviour.

“I said hush,” I jokingly replied, while I avoided eye contact with her. She giggled relentlessly in my arms, and once she was done she looked over my shoulder to try and get a glimpse of her brother. “He is gone.”

“He would have liked to be carried by you,” she teased, to mitigate the tense silence between us. “Given how tired he was.”

“I would let him walk,” I answered her in a monotone voice. She was thankfully not heavy in my arms, so I continued to stride forward in the hopes of catching sight of that familiar hill in an hour or two. The only thing that was hindering me was the sack behind my back, knocking against my form relentlessly with every step. Things would have been easier if I wasn’t carrying my belongings over my back. I was just thinking these things when I suddenly became aware of Daenerys arresting gaze, which made me blink nervously in front of her. “What is it?”

“I was wondering how long you would keep this up,” she lied.

“I’m strong.”

“I know,” she replied in barely a voice.

“The thing behind my back is making it harder,” I mumbled, feeling a sudden urge to avoid her entreating gaze.

“Uh huh.”

I flickered my gaze upwards to see her bewitching eyes settling over mine. I could sense what she was thinking, and it made me slow down my steps significantly. Daenerys gripped her arms around the back of my neck tighter, a strange reaction after I ceased my walking to simply stare at her back. A silence descended over us, only the soft billowing wind that lifted the side of my linen shirt could be heard. Eventually she was the first one to break her gaze away, shutting her eyes completely to leave me confused. “You should put me down,” she finally uttered.

Wordlessly I knelt to the floor, sprawling her body across the grassy heath that was uncommonly dry for this time of day. Daenerys pulled down the last of her dress with extra care, making sure to avoid eye contact with me as our silence continued. “My brother was right about one thing,” she abruptly spoke aloud in a shaky voive. “I have to make a good marriage.”

“To secure alliances,” I noted.

“They will not want me,” she muttered. “But if they see me, if I offer myself than…” She pushed back her single braid and let it rest behind her back in its normal fashion. “I have to make a good marriage.”

“That would work in your favour.”

“My father was cast out,” she told me. “They hated him… feared him.” She shrugged her shoulders at me carelessly. “But at the end of the day we are their leaders and those lands rightfully belong to us. It has been in our families for generations, and it is up to my brother and I to take it back.”

“What if someone else owns them now?”

“Then I will take it all the same.”

I smiled at her unkindly, knowing she was only believing an illusion. “Unless you carved your name into stone, the land cannot belong to you again.”

Her voice was wooden as she replied: “It does.”

“Land is land.”

“It’s my land.”

“It’s funny,” I remarked softly. “It was here before we found it and it will continue to be here. Land, that is. I can build a castle and create walls and claim it is mine, but at the end of the day… is it really?” I rubbed my hand over my beard methodically. “You will need a good argument to get it back.”

“My argument is my father’s enemies sent him off the land based on lies and claimed it as their own, but no more.” She pushed herself off the ground and flapped out her dress until it fell down her curves effortlessly.

“You will need more than a good marriage to get it back.”

“I will get a husband,” she told me. “With an army.”

“And this husband will use his army to reclaim your home.”

“And drive a spear through my enemies,” she warned in a chilling voice. “And reclaim the castle as my home.”

“And then _he_ will share in your glory,” I noted. “Share this castle… this land with you.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “And we shall join our two clans together under one banner and rule over the lands.”

“You sound like the English,” I said with some resentment. “The French.”

“Its politics, Jorah.”

“I know politics,” I stated. “And I won’t be there to see it.”

“What do you mean?” she asked me, once I departed from her side. “Jorah?”

“I’m leaving you at the ferry,” I said over my shoulder, and then sped up my steps to leave a significant gap between us.

 

 


	7. Kindling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The absence of Viserys means Jorah and Daenerys spend more time alone, and it is only a matter of time before the fire kindles between them.

_I’m having no luck._ A flock of birds sprang off the tree branches and flew to the sky, far beyond my reach and the rock that steadily fell to the ground unfortunately.

“You missed?” Dany remarked in a high-pitch voice.

“I was aiming for two at a time,” I grunted. The stone that plummeted to the floor was aggressively kicked away from me, since I was frustrated at myself for missing.

“Two at a time?” echoed behind me in disbelief.

I kicked at the rounded stone again, watching it roll away from me before it dipped to the side of the meagre hill. The one hill we were determined to get too was finally in our line of sight, so it wouldn’t take long for us to return to our assigned route. “I was hoping that would be our dinner,” I mumbled over my shoulder, still avoiding Daenerys entreating gaze since I was angry at myself. “It looks like we will go to bed with an empty stomach.” The tenor of my voice dropped significantly as I added: “I’m sorry, Dany.”

“It can’t be helped,” she wisely replied behind me.

I let my hand curl over the thin bark of the dying tree, staring out into the abyss where the mossy green hill arced high over the flat terrain. I would give anything to be safely stored away in my hut right now, imagining all the food I could have eaten to have a full belly tonight. _What am I doing here?_

Daenerys took his normal spot beside me, taking note that of my unusual silence. “How much further?”

“Until?”

“We can rest for the night.”

I glanced upwards at the pale grey sky, catching sight of a lifeless blue shade down yonder, it was far beyond the elevated hill. _It won’t rain tonight,_ I surmised, and took that as a good sign. The weather was temperamental, however, who knows if my predictions would fall through by the time the night sky is upon us. “You are tired,” I relented. “If I get to the hill by sunset I will be satisfied.”

“Okay.”

“So, we keep walking.” I pushed off the thin tree trunk and strode forward, determined to reach my assigned route before the sun escaped from my view completely.

Daenerys quickened her steps to be at my side. The scarf around her neck tightened substantially, not liking the headwind that we were forced to walk into. It was a chilly gale, the kind that reminded me of the changing season that was steadily stalking its way upon the land. “Do you think my brother will be alright?” the small woman asked beside me. “Am I a bad person for leaving him?”

“Do you think you are?”

“I asked you the question, Jorah,” she reprimanded me bitterly. “I need to hear your opinion on the matter.”

“I think you are better off without him.”

Her feet tangled together with my statement, nearly falling over till I turned to catch her. Anger was betrayed on her face with great pain. “He is my brother,” she reminded me in a thin voice, showing a temper that reminded me of Viserys.

“Aye, he is your brother.” I let her go to create some space. “But it was him that chose to leave you.”

“He is probably regretting it by now.”

“If he is, then all he has to do is turn around.”

“And find us?”

“Aye, find us,” I assented gravely.

She nodded her head woodenly before she took a long look over her shoulder. “He is the only thing I have,” she stated tentatively. “If he is gone than I am the last Targaryen.”

I simply blinked my eyes at her, noticing how long she was looking over her shoulder. I wanted to continue our route, but I knew I had to wait for Daenerys to make up her mind.  

“We should keep going,” she suggested lightly. Daenerys was the first to step forward, setting our course out with a dignified air. I followed her footsteps steadily, watching her from behind to take in her shapely frame. It was a pleasant view all around, I liked to see her adorned in my clothing, seeing how the wool fell over her tiny frame in an adorable way. Her hair was braided neatly behind her back, preventing the wind from ever blowing it in the wind. The ends of her dress floated behind her however, showing her muddy boots that were covered in fresh dust from our travels across the barren land. It had been a long day, but the sight of her had made it suddenly feel better. _But she will not have me,_ a painful thought barricaded into my mind, _and I am still technically married._

I had no idea where my wife had gone, and her disappearance made it harder to prove of her infidelity. _That’s when all the problems started to happen,_ I thought, _but I knew it was a lie all the same._

 _The problems started when our marriage began to break down,_ I remembered, _and the night of the fire…_

“You are a quiet man,” Daenerys spoke beside me, forcibly breaking me out of my dark reverie.

“I was thinking.”

“About?”

 “My wife,” I told her sullenly.

“Do you still love your wife?” she asked me, once her steps grew harder over the dry patch of grass.

“No,” I found myself confessing. “There would be no use in loving her.”

“Why?”

I turned my head to take in Daenerys profile, wondering why she wanted to know so much about my past life. “Why?” I echoed with pain. “Because she doesn’t love me anymore.” I licked my lips feebly, taken in how dry my mouth was from continual thirst. “She fell in love with another.”

“Did she leave you?”

“Aye, she left me.” My steps slow down on its own accord, a great spasm of pain hit me at the bottom of my stomach. “That was probably one of the worst days of my life.”

A hand touched mine and pulled it upwards to rest over Daenerys side. She looked at me pleadingly, offering a sliver of a smile that looked almost sad-like. Her attempts to comfort me where in vain, there was no cure for the broken-hearted.

“And that’s why you left?”

“One of the reasons, but my self-exile…” I found my eyes darting over the dark horizon, taking in the hill that was slowly being swarmed by a heavy mist. “Exile,” I repeated in a broken voice.

“Jorah?”

“Yes, she was one of the reasons,” I answered her quickly, letting it fall away from my lips before I could hold it back. “And because…”

Daenerys positioned herself in front of me, taking hold of my left hand as well to gather my full attention. “You can tell me.”

“A fire ruined our barn. My livestock burned in the fire. Sheep, chickens, and the few lambs I had left. I lost everything that night.” A shaky breath escaped me as the memories flooded back to me. “I lost her that night too.” My gaze dropped downwards to stare at the midnight blue scarf wrapped around Daenerys pale throat. “She was in the barn with him. The candle knocked over, and it ignited the hay. They were unable to save it, so they ran for fear of getting caught. By the time one of my servants discovered the fire it was too late, and the damage was done.” I sighed out heavily, knowing I had to reveal the rest. “The year before we had a difficult winter, so I borrowed some money from an English Lord. You asked me a while back why I was able to speak so fluently in the English language, well, now you can see the reason for it. Trade relations, but on the odd occasion to borrow money. My wife was dissatisfied with our life, wanting to live the lavish life that she saw the English women lead.” I swallowed hard with regret. “So, I borrowed money… lots of it.”

“And then the fire ruined everything.”

“The fire ensured I would never be able to pay him back.”

“So, what happened?”

“He took it, and who was I to stop it. My servants were told to lay down their weapons, and those of the Mormont clan were told to return to their homes. Another chief would rise among them I knew, but I was no longer worthy of such a title. I lost everything: wife, lands, title, all in a day.”

“And that is why you left?”

“Aye.”

“And the English Lord?”

“He will retain my castle,” I told her in truth. “And stay there until the land is able to secure him the money that was owed to him.”

“And after that?”

“He will most likely stay.”

“Oh.”

“It would be foolish to give up a fortress like that.”

“Yes,” she agreed with me softly. “So, you are more powerful than you let on.” She watched my eyes widen with surprise. “You were the leader of the Mormont Clan.”

“Well…”

“You are the same as me.” I shrugged my shoulders at her nonchalantly, wishing she had never figured out the truth. “Could you not return home like me?”

“Pennyless?” I questioned her. “They would strap me up with rope and demand my head.”

“It is your home.”

“Was,” I corrected her. “It would take a lifetime to pay them back. I would rather one of my cousins rise up against them and take the fortress by force, than have myself walk up to the front door and plead-”

“-you would not plead,” she interjected sharply. “You demand.”

“Demand on what authority?” I let my hands slip away from hers and took to striding forward to get at the hill before the clouds darkened even more. “I signed the document, so legally it belongs to them.”

“Are they a Mormont? Are they from your clan? Have their forefathers built that castle stone by stone, and cared for the land for generations?”

“Dany.”

“You are a Mormont,” she stated with a depth to her voice. “And you should fight for your home just as much as I.” A hand slithered up the side of my left arm, curling around it until she tugged me into her frame. “And I think you should take the ferry with me.”

“No.”

“Jorah,” she pleaded with a sad look in her eyes.

“You heard my answer.”

“You live in that tiny hut all alone, when your friends and family are waiting for you to return home.”

“They are happy I am gone.”

“It was you that exiled yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Then I disagree with you. My father was cast off the land because the people believed he was a pagan, and dabbled in sorcery. A lie that twisted and contorted, until the people couldn’t even stand being in his sight, but for you its different.” A hand rested on the side of my cheek to tilt my head in her direction. “Your people must love you, Jorah. You are great and honourable and wise and-”

“-a man that lost them everything.”

“No one died that night, did they?”

“No.”

“Livestock can be replaced, by loved ones can’t.” Her hands smoothed over my cold cheek as she added, “I take it you helped put out the fire.”

“I did.”

She smiled at me, letting those pink lips stretch out to the fullest with pride. “You are a good man, Jorah.” She tilted my head at me again once I lowered my chin, forcing our gaze to lock on for a moment more. “A good man that needs to go home.”

* * *

A myriad of stars was overhead, shining brilliantly in front of me. Dany’s head was resting over my chest, looking up at the brightly clustered sky as much as I. It was a cold night, but fortunately there was no signs of dark clouds to bring cause for worry. Daenerys was telling me of the food she missed back home, all sounding foreign to my unlearned ears. She was continually enjoying my disgusted reactions, complaining that the French knew nothing of a descent meal. It was a hard conversation since we were both hungry, but I assured her that starting tomorrow morning we had have more luck in catching some wild game.

“As long as I have meat in my stomach, I will be fine,” I stated in a hush tone of voice once a comfortable silence lapsed between us. “If only I had a musket.”

“Yes, you carry no dangerous weapons with you.”

“I have a sword,” I reminded her. “And a dagger buried deep in my bag. If I managed to catch a bird I can slice its throat-”

“-Jorah!” she interjected, since she wasn’t pleased by my savageness.

“Skin it and throw the lovely feathers in your direction.”

“How charming.”

“Cook it over a roaring fire and that will be the end of it.”

She snuggled herself against me more, making me my body go rigid as I felt the extreme closeness of her. The lids of my eyes blinked profusely, trying to fight back the desire that my body was demanding of me.

Daenerys rolled off me slightly to settle the front of her face into the side of my rib, her arm outstretched across my entire frame to keep in the warmth. A soft sigh escaped her, letting me know she was ready to fall asleep.

“Dany?”

“Yeah.”

“Why does your brother call you a whore?”

Her head rolled off me, and I felt her body move upwards to have a better look at me face in the darkness of night. “I tend to attract men’s attention,” she offered out to me sadly.

“Because you’re beautiful.”

“I think it might be my hair,” she mused aloud. “Why?”

“I disagreed with him.”

“Its ‘cause you are a good man, Jorah.” She settled down on me again, letting her weight be felt against my broad chest. “I sometimes wonder if my father really was a pagan,” she mused aloud. “His hair was so white, more than my brother’s and I.” Her hand fell upon my arm that was furthest from her, and her cheek slide down to the left part of my upper chest. “Ours is silver.”

I stared out into the blackened sky, feeling the wind brush against the side of my face sweetly. It was a fine night, perhaps, better than the last few ones we had encountered thus far.

“The colour of our hair frightens people.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“It makes me self-conscious at times. You have no idea the trouble my brother and I have faced since we left France.”

“A great deal.”

“You will protect me, won’t you Jorah?”

“I will.”

Daenerys grew silent after that, and I could only suppose she was falling asleep. “Dany?” I questioned and was met was no response on her end. I smiled, knowing she was slipping into sleep faster than me. “Oidhche mhath,” I murmured, as my own way of wishing her goodnight.

* * *

Daenerys was just gathering fallen tree branches when I told her to stay perfectly still. Her hands were full, but she submitted to my whims, watching me unsheathe my protective leather case to unearth a sharp dagger.

The brown hare stayed perfectly still, its pink nose sniffing the air as if it detected Dany and I. I reached down on the floor carefully, unearthing a jagged rock that would be hard enough to seriously wound the creature. Its black eyes turned away from me, looking back onto the moorland where we were currently stationed. I was beyond hungry, and if I lost the chance for some fresh meat I might just lose it. _Whap,_ sounded through the air, as the hare fell to its side, and I immediately charged at it to slit the hare’s throat before it regained consciousness. I took it by the legs and held it upside down, grunting proudly to see the blood spill out onto the muddy ground.

“Uhhh,” Dany sounded behind me, still not used to seeing animals meet an untimely death.

I threw it towards her, letting the dead animal splat down on the ground. “Watch it,” I asked of her. “If there is one here, that means there will be more.” I lifted the same rock that won me this prize off the ground and took one last look at her before I headed deeper into the swampy moorland.

An hour passed by before I returned with a blackbird as well, wearing a triumphant smile to see enough food to last us for the day.

“Should I start a fire?” Dany asked me as I slowly approached her.

“Higher up,” I told her. “Not so close to the woodlands.”

“Its not safe.”

“I like higher ground. With so much wildlife it makes me wonder what else could be lurking in this swamp land.”

“Like what?”

I smirked at her deviously, and then laid a hand over her back to lead her forward. I had grown accustomed to touching her, it had become so automatic that I didn’t even think about it twice. Fortunately for me, Dany didn’t seem to mind, and so I kept my hand firmly pressed against the center of her spine as we trudged up the steep hill. “Here is fine.” She dropped the pile of food onto the dry ground, and then watched me prepared the ground by drying it off with a useless shirt before I stacked the wood with care. “You can sit.”

She sat beside me, crossing her legs with a look of exhaustion.

“I might go back after to hunt some more.”

“Do you need help?”

“No, I’ll be fine,” I assured her. “I will need some dry grass.”

“I will get some,” she piped up, and immediately left me. I watched her graze the field, her light-coloured dress flipping softly in the autumn wind. I smiled at the sight of her, finding myself drunk on the sight of her. I could sense myself falling in love with her, but I pushed it back- suppressed it with a determination to not even entertain the idea. She was too young for one thing, and it could never be.

I stood to my feet to snap the wood in half, keeping a careful eye on the villainous buzzard that was eyeing my dead hare. _Let him try,_ I thought, and glanced behind me to see my favourite rock still behind him. If that buzzard comes close enough, he’ll be met with an awful surprise.  

Dany returned with her hands full of dry straw-like grass. “It was a bit of a walk,” she huffed with flushed cheeks. “Will that bird do anything to us?”

“He wants our food.”

“I saw it circling over you.”

“I won’t come to any harm,” I assured her, after I pointed downwards to the spot where I wanted the dry grass to be.

“How do you know?”

“I just do.”

Daenerys took a spot beside me, a rather uncomfortable one that directed my gaze upwards. I was met with a genuine smile, and then she laid a hand over the top part of my thigh that was closest to her. “You’re my little protector,” she teased.

I felt like kissing her cheek then, wanting to be even more than a protector to Dany. My hands trembled before the dead grass, trying to make up my mind as she stared deeply into my eyes. She broke her gaze after a while, letting a lingering smile grace her face. “What’s that smile for?”

“Your hesitation,” she quietly answered me, and then leaned into my body to make a little bed with the straw grass.

“Hesitation?”

“Yes, Jorah,” she cooed out lightly. She patted the grass down until she was satisfied, and then leaned into my body significantly to lay the broken twigs around it. My arm was in the way, so I moved it behind me, placing it strategically behind her back so she could lean into my chest more. She was so close I could see the glint in her silver tresses, it was so beautiful that I was tempted to touch it. I smiled at the sight of it, absolutely captivated, that when she moved slightly it broke me out of the reverie. “You can add the larger wood now.” I was silent, so she turned around to face me, caught off guard by the look in my eyes. “Jorah?”

I swallowed hard, feeling that desire to kiss her again.

“Jorah?” she questioned with a look of suspicion, unsure what was going on in my mind. I moved into her space, letting my arm finally touch her to wrap around her entire frame. Immediately everything dove-tailed in her mind, and she understood what I was thinking. A reluctant smile escaped her, a side-eyed look as she considered the matter herself. “Jorah,” she chided, once she caught me licking my licks seductively at her. My grip tightened around her small frame, holding her rather possessively after I made up my mind. She had no choice but to allow me to press my lips over hers, letting it touch hers lightly for a few seconds before I moved my head backwards. I studied her eyes to catch her thoughts, unsure if she liked my actions. She was silent and let her head tilt downwards in contemplation. I moved my head back more to give her some space, never wanting to pressure Daenerys into anything. Her lips were sucked in deeply, pursed with mediation, and then I saw a tiny quirk of her lips move upwards once she finally released it. “That wasn’t really a kiss.”

“Oh?”

“No.”

“Would you want a _real_ one?”

Her eyes darted to the left, anxious to avoid my gaze. “I…”

“You do,” I noted a little too eagerly.

“I wasn’t satisfied with the last one,” she relented, and immediately I took a hold of her face to bring it to me and slammed my lips against hers. I kissed her deeply this time, stretching out each kiss until I dug in for more.

Daenerys cradled her arms around the back of my neck to keep me there, so I quickened my kisses to let her know I wanted us to continue this daring game. She made a moan into my mouth after a while, stroking her hands through my hair fervently. Aroused, I tilted my head to get more access of her lips, plunging my nails into the top of her back to hold her steady. The fire could wait, I had more important matters to attend too.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oidhche mhath - It is a way to say goodnight. It is pronounced UUYhye vaa, though that is a rough attempt of the proper pronunciation of the word.


	8. An Act of Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah and Dany stumble upon a small village that offers them the comforts of home, a thing they greatly need after so long a journey. Daenerys must keep her identity a secret however, and the fact that she cannot understand a word of Gaelic puts her in a difficult place, especially when she is so different from everyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halò a chàirdean! / Hello friends!
> 
> I am sorry for the lengthy absence. I was busy finishing off some of my other stories on Ao3. Its a new year, so hopefully I can dedicate more time to this one.
> 
> Thank you all for your comments and kudos, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
> 
> Translations are at the bottom (End Notes) if needed.

She kept looking back over her shoulder, and even though she didn’t voice her thoughts aloud I knew where they were turning too. “Daenerys?” I hushed, only for her to turn her gaze to me. “Do you want to turn back?”

She slowed down her steps, reaching for my hand for extra comfort. The tips of her midnight blue scarf tossed in the high wind, making the stray hairs at the side of her temple blow in the air fiercely. “I fear he is gone,” she uttered in a low tone of voice, before she let those icy blue eyes fall over the wild heather beneath her feet.

“He may be out there.”

“No,” she answered me with a curt nod of his head. “He has chosen his own path, and now I must choose mine.”

I tightened my hold in her hand. “You blame yourself.”

“Who else is there to blame?” she answered me wearily.

I stepped forward, positioning myself in front of her. “Your brother made his own decision to leave.”

“He is the only thing I have,” she sighed aloud with distress. “The last of the Targaryens.”

I shook my head at her in silent disagreement, knowing her words were not true. There was one more, and she was standing right in front of me. Daenerys abruptly fell into my chest, nuzzling the side of her cheek into the top part of my chest as she wrapped her arms around me. I instinctively held her close, knowing she was going through a storm of emotions. We had waited in that spot for a day and a half, but as the hours past by we sensed that Viserys would not return. “He’s as good as dead,” she stated in a broken voice. “I should have asked him to stay.”

“But you did.”

“I feel guilty,” she revealed with pain. “I feel as though I am responsible.”

“He could be alive,” I suggested. “All is not lost.”

“We would be fools to go back and search for him.”

“It would take days… weeks to find him.” I bit down at my lips, trying to hold back the suggestion that we would only find his dead corpse.

“We are heading the same direction,” she stammered out quickly. “If he is alive and well then he will take the same route as us.”

“Oh,” I piped up softly. “And what is that?”

Daenerys let her hands rub down the sides of my arms, only stopping once she reached the curves of my wrist. “To the ferry port,” she said with excitement. “The one that will take us home.” She smiled at me sweetly, looking so youthful in the brilliant rays of the morning sun. I let my wrist slip out one of her hands to brush back a stray hair resting over the side of her cheek, and then unexpectedly leaned forward to kiss her. She responded with eagerness, pulling me into her frame with renewed energy. Hurried kisses were shared on each side, lost in a frenzy as if we feared the other would suddenly break apart. I thought she tasted delicious and found myself nearly smiling at the end of it; a warm hand cupped the side of my cheek with affectionate once we were done and she offered me a dazzling smile to show her feelings were the same as mine. “We should go,” she uttered in a commanding tone of voice, and then took a hold of my hand to lead me forward. I followed Daenerys like a helpless man, completely lost with the sight of her.

The moorland where we stayed for a wee bit was behind us now, and all I could see was the rolling heath and a high hill in the distance. There were scarcely any trees in our line of sight, only large grey boulders that looked like they had been crushed by the giants of old. _Folk tales,_ I thought, with a whimsical smile as Daenerys continued to lead me forward. The sky was a breathless blue, bright as the sun that shined upon us. The wind was harsh, but we were dressed warm enough to not feel the frigid temperatures. We would walk until sundown, and then I would have to set up camp for the night. There was enough food from hunting to sustain us for two days at least, and if luck was on my side, I would find something else to add to our booty.

“I think my brother will regret it in the end,” Daenerys piped up abruptly.

“Leaving you?”

“Parting ways,” she deduced aloud. “After all this time, Viserys was so willing to give it up.”

“He hated me.”

“Jealous,” she reasoned. “Of your attention towards me.”

“He is your brother.”

“Our relationship is complicated,” she reasoned. “A Targaryen will always be attracted to their own.” She let her grip slip out of mine and pulled at her fingers tentatively. “You never even showed any interest in me then.”

“I thought you were beautiful,” I uttered with truth. “But no, I never saw you in the same way I do now.” Daenerys slowed down her steps so I could be at her side. She offered me a look that said a lot, but no words escaped her lips. A hand outstretched itself to take up mine, and soon we walked in companionable silence over the low grass. Puffy white cotton tossed in the wind, capturing my attention as I treaded beside a shallow bog. The pool of water reflected the clear blue skies, making me feel alive at the sight of it. This was the kind of scenery I never wished to part with; the sole reason I was able to live in exile for so long. Daenerys plucked at the fluffy white substance, staring at it curiously as she rubbed her index finger and thumb through the soft texture. She clutched it in the palm of her hand eventually, looking most unwilling to part with it.

“Its peaceful here.”

I nodded my head in agreement, feeling like the silence would speak for itself.

“Is your homeland like this?”

“The castle and farmland were quite busy,” I answered her calmly. “I never had time to enjoy the things I do now.”

“Yes, too much responsibility.”

“Aye.”

“What do you miss most about your old life?”

“My wife,” I sighed aloud. “The things that could have been.” My eyebrows lowered over my soft blue eyes uneasily. “The comforts of my home and family… my kin.”

“Your blood,” she added.

“Aye, my blood.”

“They will want you home, Jorah.”

“You are still trying to persuade me to go with you.”

“I thought… given the feelings you have for me…” She batted her eyes at me shyly, trying to compose her facial features. “I assumed you had changed your mind.”

“You might have changed it a little,” I agreed. I looked over my shoulder to see how far we had come, taking in the scenery that was still new to me. “I am a long way from home.”

“Which one? That hut you have called your home or the castle that you have neglected.”

“I did not neglect it, Daenerys.”

“If you spend the rest of your life here than you are.”

“Dany,” I warned in a stern voice, which brought a faint blush to her cheek. “Take a different avenue to convince me to come with you.”

She looked away from me, trying to hide her smile that quickly grew by the second. I knew she was trying to manipulate me, but I didn’t exactly blame her. My fingers brushed through my curly hair, brushing it backwards to match the changing tide of the wind. A fierce headwind hit us, but we were determined to keep our brisk pace. I knew we would reach a small village if memory served me right; a tiny hope to find some lodging played in the back of my mind. I had enough money to pay for such a place and decided I would bring up the matter to Dany tonight. My blue eyes gleamed when I thought about last night, the way she curled her body against me. For half a heartbeat I thought she wanted more than that, but when she wished me goodnight it shut down that thought as quick as a bow leaves its quiver. _Its too soon for that,_ I deliberated, _and we hardly know each other._ There was chemistry for sure, but I wasn’t sure if we were ready for that stage.

The top of the hill was eventually reached, and it was there that Daenerys fell into the side of my body with relief. Three scattered buildings were in plain sight, and with it the soft baaing of sheep drifted in the wind from where we stood. A small wooden barn was closest to us; a man brushing the side of his chestnut brown hair seemed lost in his task, unaware of the two of us watching him from the top of the hill. “Dany,” I said with a soothing, harmonious voice. “I think we found a place to stay for the night.”

“Will they let us?” she asked with worry. “My hair.”

“Pull up your scarf to cover your hair,” I decided, and went behind her back to help Daenerys with the task. Her pale white face shone in the sunlight, a sharp contrast to the dark fabric that covered her head. I thought she could go undetected by these strangers, so I quietly instructed her to not speak unless it was necessary. “Your accent would gather too much attention,” I assured her, a thing that made her giggle lightly.

“My French accent.”

“The French,” I scoffed to simply annoy her, before I took a hold of her arm to lead her downhill. I could smell the familiar scent of a burning fire from the distance, letting me know that someone was preparing dinner early. The sun had been setting sooner than normal, so it made sense for the people of this tiny settlement to start their dinner earlier.

Daenerys let her fingers tread through the soft fur of the sheep that approached us, obviously thinking we were one of their owners. “You like it?” I questioned her, which made her laugh as light as a feather. “You’ll name it next?”

“No.”

“You will,” I taunted her, before I brought her hand upwards to kiss the back of it. She caught that look in my eyes- lust mixed with admiration that left her stunned.

“Halò!” echoed off in the distance. I dropped Daenerys hand slowly to our sides and then looked down the last of the hill to see the man approaching us. He was wearing a light cream coloured linen shirt with a leather tan vest. A white neckerchief was wrapped around his throat, light as the fabrics he was wearing on this cool autumn day. He jogged towards us one he reached the bottom of the hill, intent on greeting us strangers. A warm smile was given to me and the small woman next to me, and then he offered out his hand for both of us to shake. “Halò,” he repeated. “Ciamar a tha thu?”

“Tha gu math,” I answered him. “Ciamar a tha thu fhèin?”

He rested his hands on the sides of his hips and let out a short breath. “Obh obh!” he sighed out. “Tha mi sgìth,” he complained with a quick shake of his head. “Tha e latha fhada.”

“Aidh, aidh,” I agreed with him quickly. It has been a long day. I looked down at Daenerys to see she was completely lost with our conversation. The poor girl doesn’t know a word of her mother tongue.

“Cò as a tha thu?” the young man demanded. He continued to let his hands rest over his hips, taking his time to glance between the two people in front of him. I knew I had the air of a Scots man, but Daenerys could not claim the same as myself.

I cleared my throat to get his attention. “Suas gu trath,” I answered him with a pointing of my finger behind me. I knew the locals tended to stay in one part once they settled there, and anywhere further up north had no appeal for them.

“Aidh,” he answered me softly, and then waved his hand for his new friends to follow him. “Dè an t-ainm a th’ ort?”

“Is mise Jorah,” I answered him quite bluntly. “Seo Daenerys.”

His right eyebrow raised at the mention of Daenerys name, but he made no comment aloud. “Is mise Calum,” he replied with a peppiness to his voice. “Fàilte, a chàirdean.”

“Tapadh leibh,” I answered him in a similar tone of voice. Daenerys slipped her arm in mine, wanting to stay as close to me as possible. Calum led us around his wandering sheep, keeping his hands in his pockets as he kept up a brisk pace. He seemed pleased by our presence, pointing out things that caught his eyes as he strode ahead of us. I could tell he was a talkative man, one who enjoyed the presence of others. Strangers such as ourselves must have piqued his interest greatly, so he had no qualms to lead us closer to his home. The front door of his house was open, and it was there that he called out his father with great energy.

“Tha luchd-tadhail againn!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. A chair was pulled out for Daenerys and then he motioned for her to take a seat. “Suidhe,” he asked of her politely. Another chair was pulled out for me, and then the man quickly strode to a cabinet to retrieve some cups for us to use. “Uisge,” he pointed out, after he poured a beacon full of water into two cups. “An toil leat uisge?”

I answered the young man politely back that we did like water, and soon Daenerys and I had two small cups set up before us. The man turned returned to the kitchen countertop to slice a loaf of bread, clearly intent on treating Daenerys and I as his guests. Heavy thudding sounded down creaky wooden steps, letting us know that another person was approaching. Calum shouted out to his father that we were here, which made the footsteps fall harder until a small gray-haired man stood in front of the kitchen table. He had a thick moustache and he cropped his short extremely short. A tweed cap was in his hand, and a hammer in the other. He eyed us with scrutiny but must have sensed we were harmless for the man offered us a soft greeting.

“Seo m’ athair,” Calum explained. His father nodded his head at the introduction and elected to pull out a chair across from me. The forgotten hat was tossed at the edge of the table, and then he pulled back the sleeves to his light blue sweater to show his hairy arms. Calum set the wooden tray onto the center of the table, pulling the long knife out of view before he instructed Daenerys and I to eat his bread. I was too hungry to object, eagerly snatching at the largest slice of bread I could find before I stuffed it into my mouth. “Seo Jorah agus Daenerys,” Calum mentioned to his father.

The man offered us another small greeting while he looked around the kitchen area. “Càit a bheil an t-ìm?”

I could feel Daenerys stare upon my side profile, practically begging me to explain what the two men were saying to one another. “Butter,” I mouthed under my breath, which made her let out a relieved sigh.

“Chan eil fhios agam,” Calum complained with his hands raised into the air.

“He doesn’t know where the butter is,” I whispered to Daenerys, which made her cover her giggles with the palm of her hand. _Let it be me to be her translator,_ I thought, and felt the greatest urge to kiss the side of her temple.

Calum’s father grumbled under his breath, speaking so softly that I couldn’t hear his complaining.

Daenerys was leaning against the side of my arm while Calum was inquiring after his mother. I was too busy taking up a second piece of bread to care, so very happy to have something in my stomach. “Is mise Aodhàn,” the older man introduced himself. He stretched his hand forward to retrieve a piece of bread as well. “Fàilte.”

I assured Aodhàn that it was nice to meet him, and then made a few polite inquires to comfortably settle ourselves in. He seemed to take a liking to me after a few minutes, letting us know that his wife was at their neighbour’s house to show them a new recipe. Aodhàn made a few inquiries as well, wondering where we had come from and where we intended on going next.

Calum let himself be seated as I explained our destination, placing a platter of butter on the table even though Daenerys and I had far too much already. He let his gaze fall on Daenerys often, probably wondering why she was so quiet. “A bheil thu ceart gu leòr?” he mumbled to her, and when she didn’t respond Calum wore a look of concern.

“She doesn’t understand,” I mistakenly answered him in English, and closed my eyes once I realized my error. A tense silence fell over the table, and when I opened my eyes, I found Calum had leaned back fully in his seat. “Tha mi duilich,” I quickly explained. “Ach, chan eil i a’ tuigsinn.” I bit down on my lip with regret, hating the fact that they now knew Daenerys was an outsider.

“Dè?” Aodhàn voiced out with disbelief, and then let out a bellow of laughter. Calum appeared uncomfortable, simply scuffing his fingers through his short dark hair.

_They can hardly believe it._

I turned my head to Daenerys, seeing how embarrassed she looked at the moment. The front door creaked open and we heard the scrapping of boots on the carpet to let the inhabitants of the house know another person is home. Calum was calling out his mother’s name happily, making his father rise out of his chair to find another seat for his wife.

There was a ruckus of noise once Aodhàn wife entered the kitchen, for she was so very excited to have visitors. She ordered her son to prepare a pot of tea, and her son willingly obliged. “Feasgar math,” she uttered softly, while she let a hand rest over the side of my arm with affection. Her eyes glistened at the sight of Daenerys, probably seeing her as a potential suitor for her son. “S’ i àlainn!” she explained with disbelief, which brought a bright blush to Daenerys’ cheeks. She was ignorant of the woman’s words, but she knew she was receiving the highest of praise. The woman than demanded to know if Daenerys was my wife and when I denied it, she was nearly over the moon. She disappeared a second later, taking off her heavy coat so she would look more presentable for her guests.

Aodhàn propped a chair at the head of the table and then took a seat. He offered us a lop-sided grin, taking turns to look at Daenerys and I while his son was busy preparing a pot of tea. “A bheil thu a’ fuireach airson dinnear?” he questioned us with unexpected eagerness.

I turned my head to Daenerys, knowing she was completely ignorant of the suggestion proposed to us. “Dany,” I uttered softly. “He asked if we wanted to stay for dinner.”

She nodded her head quickly, not being one to turn down such an answer. “Don’t they speak English she complained?”

Aodhàn flatly denied it, almost looked disgusted by me even suggesting it. He was one of those people that disliked the lowlanders, so to even speak their language disagreed with him greatly. I knew it would be a long night for Daenerys, but hopefully she could pick up a few key words. I politely relayed Dany’s situation, explaining that she could only speak French and English. This launched a series of questions from the man, one where I became a translator between the two people in the room. Aodhàn wife returned with an apron in hand, and then bustled about the kitchen to set up things for dinner. Calum was helping her as much as he could, but soon he had to leave to bring in the sheep for the night. The barking of a dog sounded through the air after a few minutes, coming from the barn I had noticed earlier on. “Tha e oidhche fhuar,” Aodhàn complained, and dragged his hands over the sides of his arms in open complaint.

Daenerys nodded her head, barely catching the meaning behind Aodhàn statement. “He said it is a cold night,” I told her, which made her smile at me with pleasure. “We might have to sleep separately tonight.”

“Why?”

“We aren’t married,” I answered her in a hush voice. “They wouldn’t allow it.”

“Oh,” she answered with a disappointed look about her. “But I will see you in the morning?”

“Yes.”

“Will they let us stay here though?”

“I can ask.” The inquiry was given to Aodhàn in which he agreed most willingly, and when I offered him an appropriate payment he instantly stood to his feet. He would prepare a room for us this very second, but he was hardly down the hallway before he turned back around and slowly walked into the kitchen area. “Dè tha e?”

The man pointed his finger at me and then Daenerys, and then puckered his lips with suspicion. Daenerys looked uncomfortable under his lengthy gaze, but I knew where his thoughts were turning too. “Chan eil sinn posta fhathast,” I cleverly replied, which made the old man’s face light up. He clapped his hands with energy, and then assured us the room would be quite comfortable.

“Jorah,” Dany scolded me. “What did you say?”

“I told him we weren’t married yet.”

“Jorah!”

I shot her a smirk that instantly made her narrow her eyes at me. “I thought you would be happy,” I lied. “Or would you rather be in a separate room, if they even have one?”

“We get to share a room?”

“Yes, Dany.”

She crossed her arms at me, pretending she was upset when she really wasn’t. “Will they have a small bath area I can use?” was her next question, which made me break out in laughter. “Its been so long since I’ve had a proper bath.”

“I’m sure they do,” I answered her, right before Calum laid down a tray full of cups and enough pot of tea to keep us satisfied for the rest of the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a side note, I am not a native speaker of Scottish Gaelic. I have been learning through books, Youtube videos and most recently on the Duolingo app. If anyone is interested in learning I would recommend you trying out the app since they have launched it only a month ago.
> 
> Aodhàn is the Gaelic version of Aidan, so when you read the name you at least know how to pronounce it now lol.
> 
> Sorry about the extensive use of Gaelic, I never intended to go this far hahaha. The translations from this story is stated below:
> 
> Ciamar a tha thu? - How are you?  
> Tha gu math - I am well  
> Obh Obh - Oh dear  
> Tha mi sgìth - I am tired  
> *Tha e latha fhada - It is a long day  
> Aidh- Aye  
> Cò as a tha thu? - Where are you from?  
> Suas gu trath - Up north  
> Dè an t-ainm a th' ort? - What is your name  
> Is mise (name) - My name is (name)  
> Tapadh leibh - Thank you  
> *Tha luchd-tadhail again - We have visitors  
> Suide - Sit  
> Seo m' athair - This is my father  
> A bheil thu ceart gu leòr - Are you alright?  
> Tha mi duilich - I am sorry  
> Chan eil i a' tuigsinn - She doesn't understand  
> Dé - What?  
> Feasgar math - Good afternoon  
> S' i alainn - She is beautiful  
> Chan eil sinn posta fhathast - We are not married yet ;)


	9. A Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sexual tension rises between Daenerys and Jorah throughout the evening, and once they are alone their true feelings for one another is harder to hold back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another reminder that any unfamiliar words will be posted on the Notes section below.

Calum was bent over to pet his old dog, dragging his fingers through his thick fur just behind the dog’s ear. He was saying something to his dog under his breath, but the distance between us made it nearly indistinguishable. Aodhàn stood beside me with his arms crossed tightly against his chest, observing his son’s playful behaviour as the last of the sun illuminated his form. The sheep were put back in their pen and now all that was left was too enjoy the fading golden ray from the sun before night was finally upon us. Calum looked up with a large smile, waving at us in a friendly manner before he turned his attention back to his dog.

“Tha e toilichte,” Aodhàn uttered under his breath. He pointed at his son, encouraging me to watch him further. I thought his father was right, Calum was happy, profoundly so. He went on the tip of his toes and ran away from the household, delighted when his dog ran after him. I wasn’t entirely sure where they were going, but I was sure it wouldn’t be too far.

Aodhàn complained of his son being silly, a thing that made me laugh lightly before he led me back inside. He walked slow, betraying his old age with his hands deep in his trouser pockets in an easy manner. The cap was placed firmly on his head, covering half of his visage in the dim lighting of the evening sun. He pushed open the door, holding it open for me to enter his humble home. He motioned for me to brush off my boots on the rugged carpet, before uttering, “Thig a-steach.”

I followed him inside, taking note of how neat the table was once we stepped inside. His wife, Flora, had been busy while we were gone. The table was perfectly set for dinner, already there were two candles flickering atop of the table in silent greeting.

“Glè mhath,” Aodhàn muttered. He tapped the top of his chair, examining the room as he stood at the head of the table. “Hmmm,” he mumbled with tightly closed lips. He looked around again, a long frown slowly crossed over his face. A hand reached up to stroke his moustache from left to right, and then went back again as he narrowed his eyes. “Chan eil mi a’ tuigsinn,” he exclaimed. “Càit a bheil bean agam?” He motioned me to follow him and up we went, traveling up the staircase until we reached the upper levels. We could hear chattering come from the old woman, but I found it amusing that her conversation was entirely one-sided. I knew for a fact Daenerys would not understand a word that poor woman was saying to her and tried my best not to smile when Aodhàn gave me a certain look.

We found the two women in the bathroom; the door was open a crack, enough for her husband to peak through to see the commotion. He did his best not to laugh before he motioned for me to perform the same action, and when I positioned myself in front of the narrow crack, I could see Flora running a comb through Daenerys’ hair. Flora was praising the colour of Daenerys’ hair with pure admiration, but she couldn’t understand a word of it. I found myself knocking on the door, and soon Flora opened it with a quick chiding to her husband and I.

“Gabh mo leisgeul,” I pleaded with my hands raised high in front of her. “Tha mi duilich,” I apologized while I took a step back. “Tha mi ag iarraidh Daenerys,” I stammered out with half embarrassment. “Bruidhinn ri Daenerys.”

Aodhàn came to my rescue, taking a hold of his wife’s hand to lead her away from me. He encouraged me to go inside of the bathroom, and even took the liberty to close the door behind me. I could hear the couple arguing outside, but I was more concerned to the rising colour of Daenerys once she saw a certain look in my eyes. Her hair was long and glossy, a pure silvery white with light droplets of water at the very end. She was draped in an old robe, obviously borrowed from the only woman in the house. Daenerys closed her legs at the sight of me, and then her eyelashes fluttered nervously before she lowered her gaze. I smiled at her, feeling the lids of my eyes close as I tried to contain my feelings. A long silence stretched between us, and then Daenerys picked up the forgotten comb to drag it through her wavy hair. I slowly stepped towards her, and only when I was close enough that I took it out of her hands.

“Let me,” I told her sternly and then leaned a hand on the side of her head to tilt it away from me. I dragged the comb through her hair with care, ruffling out the wet curls till it went straight again. Daenerys was uncomfortably silent, but I knew she could feel the tension in the air. “Where were you?”

“Outside.”

“I thought- I thought you were my translator,” she said as an excuse.

“Did you miss me, Dany?”

She never bothered to answer, simply dragging her hands down the front of her thighs with discomfort. She was making the greatest of effort to shut her legs, and I knew the reason why she was so determined to do so.

“You enjoyed your bath?” I questioned her softly.

“I did.”

“I’m glad.” I tilted her head to get at a different angle, noticing how she was watching me from the corner of her eye. “Dè tha e?” I taunted her.

“Oh, don’t even start!” She heard me laugh at her, which made her arms cross over her chest in silent indignation. “How would you feel if I spoke to you in French?”

“You can go ahead.”

Her arms crossed tighter over her chest. “I don’t understand anything.”

“You don’t have too,” I reminded her. “That’s why you have me.”

“They are kind though,” she mentioned, not minding at all that she deflected my statement. “It isn’t like that at home.”

“We depend on each other,” I told her. “That’s how it is, especially when you live on a secluded island such as this.”

She nodded her head slightly, before rising off the tiny stool. She was just leveled to my chest when she turned around, gazing to my eyes in a fanciful way that took me off guard. Daenerys reached forward to take the comb out of my hand, prying my finger off one by one until the wooden comb was free. She laid it on the table behind her, and then swung her arms around the back of my neck. I watched her go on her toes and that’s when I leaned in to kiss her. A tiny sigh escaped her after our first one, and then I connected our lips again to continue our little game. Hands braced the bottom of her spine, avoiding the temptation to cup her ass and lift her off the ground since she had to stand on her toes to kiss me. I leaned downwards, bracing her body tightly to keep her close. Daenerys rubbed her hands eagerly along the back of my neck, stroking the top of my shoulders with encouragement. Our lips parted and then returned again, each tilting our head to get a new angle as our kisses grew hungrier. I wasn’t sure how this all started, but I wasn’t going to be the one that stopped it anytime soon. Common sense left me, and I laid my hand over her ass with pressure before I lifted her off the ground, finding her legs wrapping around me to straddle herself completely. I dropped her on the countertop, kissing the side of her cheek as she rubbed her hands up and down my shoulder blades. I tilted my head downwards to peck my lips against her pale neck, using my nose to brush back her wet hair that was dangling down her back. She had a different scent to her, probably the drab robe or the handmade soap, but that did little from stopping my lips from caressing the side of her neck.

A knocking on the door disturbed the moment. I was the first to take a step back, realizing how much Daenerys chest was heaving from our physical contact. A hand was stretched out to me for more, but I forced myself to take a step back and drag my hand through my frazzled hair. “A bheil a h-uile dad ceart gu leòr?” demanded Aodhàn. The gruffiness of his voice meant he knew something was wrong, so I did my best to step further away from Daenerys for my own sane of mind.

“Tha! Tha sin gu math!” I yelled out, and then leaned against the far wall with the palm of my hands leaning against it. I was doing my best to catch my breath, trying to fight the urges that were still taking a hold of my mind. _I wanted her,_ I knew that now, but that side of me had to wait. “Tapadh leat!” I yelled out from the corner of my mouth. “Uhhhh…” I looked over my shoulder to see Daenerys’ was still reeling over the moment as well. “Bidh sinn shìos…” I had to stop because of the look she was giving me. It was so hard to avert my gaze from hers, side stepping with my hands dragging along the wall to bring myself closer to the door. “…ann am mionaid.”

The old man’s steps quietly retreated, letting us know that we were alone again. I leaned my forehead against the bathroom door, hoping against hope that we wouldn’t continue. “Daenerys I will be downstairs,” I found myself saying, and opened the door before temptation could have a hold over me further. I staggered into the hallway, finding a hand cupping the front of my crotch as the throbbing increased. A part of me wondered if it was such a good idea to share a bed with her, if I could control myself now that she had awakened something in me. We had kissed before, but never like that, it was wild and uncontrollable. _Passionate,_ I thought, but not even that word could encapsulate the feeling. I could still picture her sitting on the bathroom countertop, and a part of me wondered if she was still there waiting for me. _What if I went back and locked the door behind me,_ a part of me wondered, how far would she let me go?

The stairs creaked softly with each step, breaking me out of my brief reverie.

Aodhàn smirked at me when he caught my eye, shaking his head with slow movements without his wife ever knowing about us. _He must have heard something,_ I realized, and found myself blushing at that fact. “Eòin gaoil beag,” he taunted. I tried to keep my face composed as I walked into the center of the room, ignoring the curious stare of his wife who had now turned in our direction.

“Cò?” his wife asked.

I stayed where I was, taking in the scene of them staring right at me. His wife must have caught on for she laughed with her hands covering her mouth, and then went over to her husband to peck his cheek. She told Aodhàn to leave me alone and that was the end of that. A chair was pulled out for me by his wife and she urged me to sit in a polite manner. There was every assurance that dinner was nearly ready before she went away to retrieve her apron. Aodhàn pulled out a chair across from me, letting his arms drag across the table before he interlaced his fingers together. “ _Cuin_ …” he bellowed out with a quirk of his dark eyebrow. He took his time to silently judge me before he continued his sentence. “Cuin a tha a’ bhanais ann?”

I had never anticipated such a question, so it took me a few seconds to reply with a clever answer. I assured him it would be soon, mentioning that she would like to go home first to be with her family. Aodhàn seemed satisfied with my answer and agreed it would be nicer to marry with all of the family around. He was not pleased to hear it was so far off but decided to keep the rest of his opinions to himself. “S’ i àlainn,” he agreed aloud. He chuckled the next part: “Agus tha i goirid!” He smiled greatly when he noticed my nod of the head, glad that I thought Daenerys to be remarkably small as well.

“Wee little thing,” I uttered in English, which made the man laugh even louder in front of me.

“Sìthiche!” he exclaimed, while motioning his hands in such a way to show how small she was. _He would compare her to a fairy._ “A bheil i?”

“Chan eil fios agam,” I confessed, which made the old man laugh so hard he was pounding his hands upon the table. His wife stormed in to see why her husband was laughing so hard, smacking him with the end of her towel when he tried to send her away. You could tell they were an old couple, far too comfortable with themselves to control their true feelings in front of a guest.

“Tha i na sìthiche,” he declared, and that was the end of our conversation about Daenerys.

* * *

When I entered the bedroom I could tell Daenerys was waiting up for me, not even my lengthy bath could persuade her to go to bed. I found my chest heaving at the sight of her and had a great deal of trouble closing the door behind me. She sat there perfectly still, only letting her fingers play with the ends of the hair that had fully dried by now. She looked calm under our lengthy stare, and only allowed her fingers to slip through the last of her hair once I approached her. I walked to the corner of the room, removing my shirt with my back to her. I tossed it over a chair, and then reached forward to retrieve a set of clothing that Flora had laid out for me. I could tell it belonged to her husband, a bit small, but I threw on the short-sleeved shirt anyways and patted the soft fabric down until it sat snug over me. I lifted the pale grey sweater that was hand-sewn by this woman and carried it over to the bed where Daenerys was waiting for me. “I don’t think his pants will fit,” I noted with something of a laugh, but she never responded to my quip. I pulled back the blankets on my side of the bed and then laid the carefully folded sweater over my lap. “Are you cold?”

“Not really.”

“The temperature is dropping,” I noted. “I think winter is coming.”

“So do I,” she responded with disinterest while her fingers rubbed up and down her inner thigh. I watched the movements carefully in the corner of my eyes, somewhat relieved that she had the blankets atop of her. I threw on the sweater tiredly, pulling it down until it fit rather snug. My pants were pulled downwards carefully, though I made sure the blankets covered the fact that I only had my small clothing on now. I avoided eye contact with her when I pulled my pants from underneath the blankets and crumbled it in a ball with some discomfort.

“I was going to wash it,” I told her. “But we are only here for one night, and there won’t be enough time for it to dry.”

“You have other pairs,” she reminded me. “And your kilt.”

I tried to contain my smile when she uttered, “Kilt,” with her foreign accent, but Daenerys caught it all the same.

“I’m going to sleep,” she mused aloud, and then blew out the candle on her side of the bed with swift movements. The room fell into darkness, leaving me stumped on what to do next.

“Going to bed already?”

Daenerys made no reply, but I heard her fidgeting with the blankets as she tried to get more comfortable. I took it as a sign, so I slouched downwards into the bed as well. She curled herself closer to me, being the first to reach out, and instinctively I leaned into her body as well. Her arm was wrapped around me, our faces close together as we stared at each other in the darkened room. It felt so natural to share a bed with her. I shut my eyes for a moment, trying to block out the thoughts that were bombarding my mind. We were getting closer, I could feel it, and a part of that fact scared me.

Daenerys tucked her head into my chest, and soon I felt her fingers wandering up and down my back in a comforting manner. I knew she liked to touch me in this way, which made me leaned my chest right up against hers. I moved back once I realized she was wearing nothing underneath her shirt, aware of how protruding her nipples were against my chest. _Did I do that to her,_ I wondered, make her own body betray her inner thoughts. I tilted upwards to peck my lips over her cheek, not expecting her reaction of leaning right back to find my lips in the darkness. She kissed me with fervour, pulling me back into her frame with her legs longingly dragging against mine. Our bodies were soon entangled, drawing out our touches to feel the warmth of each other’s skin. She moved herself in the bed to settle herself on top of me, brushing her fingers through my short hair with a series of low moans. I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around her solid back, taking my time kissing her without restrain. I knew this was what she wanted, otherwise she would have stopped it by now.

“Jorah,” she breathed from the back of her throat. Her fingers rubbed the top of my left ear, while her mouth moved away from mine to explore the side of my cheek. I could hear her kisses in the silence of our room, the faint breathing escaping her lips when she was so aroused. She was bent over me, nearly sitting on my lap as he continued to kiss along the side of my jawline, not minding the beard that was steadily growing in there. “Jorah,” she moaned in a way that instantly made me roll her over, pinning her to the bed until she was flat on her back. I returned the favour to kiss her lips quite desperately, allowing my hands to pinch her waist in a way that showed I wanted more. Her hands friskily went up my sweater and shirt, and I nearly huffed loudly with a slight tremor when she rubbed her hands in the front of my chest. She was so eager to touch me, so delirious with whatever emotion she was experiencing that I could hardly string one thought to another. Everything was happening so fast- too fast. Her hand went at my waist band of my small clothing, inching closer and then I stopped her unexpectedly with a slight touch on her hand. “Jorah?”

“Wait,” I pleaded, hardly realizing it had escaped my lips.

“What is it?”

“Dany, I want this,” I told her quickly. “But…”

“Your lying to me.”

“I do,” I told her in truth. “Its just…”

“You are thinking of your wife,” she replied in anger.

“No,” I wheezed out. “I want to know where all of this is coming from.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Dany,” I warned.

“I thought you would have wanted this.”

“Yes, but not so soon,” found myself saying with some reluctance. Her hand moved away from the waist band and settled it over the curve of my hips instead. I felt her fingers flay out along my sharp pelvic muscles, rather reluctant to go any further. “Why now?”

She made a soft grunting noise much to my displeasure.

“Dany?”

“I want it,” she simply replied.

“And I am guessing that’s all.”

She was silent on her end. I let out low sigh and found myself leaning off her body slightly. “M’ ghraid,” I hushed out softly, before I cupped the side of her cheek. “You deserve better than that.”

“What did you say?”

“Ah,” I mouthed out cunningly. “Do you truly want to know?”

“Jorah.”

“My love,” I clarified for her. “You deserve better than that.” I let my hand slip away from her soft cheek. “I want you to want me, yes, but not only for sex.” I rolled off her body after that, and then moved to my side of the bed to show her that my words were true.

Dany was motionless on her side, probably considering the things I had to say. “I’m not a whore, Jorah,” she finally answered me back.

“I know.”

“I don’t know what I want,” she eventually confessed.

“I think you just want…” my voice trailed away, since I didn’t want to say it aloud. “Anyways, goodnight Dany.”

She moved to my side of the bed, brushing her fingers through the back of my hair affectionately. I tilted my body in her direction, looking into her eyes in the darkness of our room.

“I know you like me,” I assured her. “You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Could we…” she stopped herself, though her hands were so deep in my hair that she began to tug at the roots.

“If that is what you want.”

I heard her swallow harshly, and then moved herself even closer to me. It was clear she was attracted to me, clearly wanting it though she had difficulty saying it aloud. It was easy to do yes, but would it ruin things for us later. I wasn’t so sure, though the tightness to my hair as she tugged on it harder made my decision rather difficult.

She closed in the last gap to kiss the side of my shoulder, bringing her fingers down into my scalp to dig at it fiercely. My bottom spine shivered at her touch, knowing her desire was so very hard to control. She moved herself on top of me, pushing me down into the bed as she kissed at the back of my neck. Hands rovered downwards, pressing into the bottom of my spine as she felt my hot flesh. I found my breath quickening by her touch. I found myself wanting to feel her- touch her, but she had straddled me from behind and there was no real way to do it. She stroked my back firmly, making sure her lips pecked the side of my ear and face in a mad frenzy. “Jorah,” was whispered close to my ears, making my shoulders hunch forward into the bed.

I rolled over soon enough, facing her before pulling her into my chest to kiss her madly. She made sure to pull her hand out of my sweater to let her hands lay over my lower abdomen, straddling me enough to leave a narrow gap between our flesh. Her right hand dug into my small clothing and I moaned deeply into her mouth as she stroked me good. I had to be quiet because of our neighbours, but god was it good to feel her hand rub me down with fierce movements until I was wet for her. Lips crushed against each other to drown out the sounds of our arousal, silencing the laboured breathing as our bodies collided against the other. I stopped kissing her to simply pull up that long dress of hers, hitching my breath as I saw the silhouette of her naked body. Lips paraded her massive breasts, peppering it with frenzy that was so hard to control as she stroked at my dripping cock, going right up to the base where I could no longer hold back a precious groan. “Dany,” I dragged out slowly, which brought a light giggle from her. My hands fluffed up her loose hair as she hovered over me, delighted at this sensual moment I couldn’t put into words. “What are you doing to me?”

She answered me with a loving kiss, feeling different from all the others. Her hands slipped away from my cock to grab a hold of the sides of my arms, bringing herself upwards while she dragged her inner thigh right against my hardened member. I stifled a sound, hoping against hope that Aodhàn wouldn’t hear us through the thin walls.

“Why now?” I complained.

“Jorah,” she simply answered me.

“Why now?” I demanded.

She tilted her head in a way for me to kiss the side of her face, not minding one bit when I wrapped strong arms around her. To be honest I really didn’t care if she was in the “mood,” the mere fact that she was allowing me to do this was pushing me over the edge. If I had enough powers to have her naked and straddled on top of me, then who was I to complain.

“Because I want you,” she answered me.

“Why?”

She giggled in answer, so very amused by my antics. She rolled herself off me suddenly, landing harshly upon the bed with her entire body sprawled out.

“What?”

She covered her happy giggles with her mouth and then eventually let out a long exhale that shook the air.

“What?”

“You are such a gentleman, Jorah.”

“Thank you.”

“Too much in your head too.”

“I only want to understand why-”

“-you know,” she cut me off. “Most men would have been done by now.”

“I’m not like most men,” I argued back. I wrapped my hand around myself, stroking it slowly to at least distracted myself from the aching feeling- the desire to plunge myself into her here and now.

“Noble and brave,” she deliberated aloud. “Honest and good.”

“Yes.”

“Selfless,” she added. “Enough to put my needs above your own.”

“Well, it is coming out of nowhere.”

“I haven’t forgotten how you kissed me in the bathroom, Jorah.” She rolled over, letting her hand rest over my belly. “It did _not_ come out of nowhere.”

“How did you learn how to touch a man like that?”

“I’ve heard things,” she simply replied. “Women talk you know.”

“Dany.”

“It’s true.” She leaned her hand downwards, resting it over the hairs before she found the base in the darkness. “We French women have a reputation.”

“You’re Scottish.”

“Yes,” she slyly noted, just before she squeezed me. “What’s that?” she responded after she heard a low, dangerous grunt escape my lips. “I’m doing it right?” she taunted but had to stop once I rolled over and pinned her down into the bed. “I know how to control you now, Jorah.”

“You’re no fairy,” I shot back. “A _little_ demon, that’s what you are!”

“I don’t think there are demons in your folklore,” she taunted, right before I crushed my lips against hers. _Oh, she’s very clever._ I kissed her harder, making her release me quite adamantly to pin my body against hers again. _She’s clever, but two can play at that game._

“Well, there are now,” I told her, before I suddenly let her go. “Goodnight, Dany.” She hardly caught her breath before I rolled off the bed and sauntered over to the edge of the bed to retrieve my pants.

“Where are you going?”

“Fresh air,” I told her, before I picked up my sweater again.

“Why?”

“Oh, give you something to think about. Maybe _cool_ down?”

She cursed under her breath, quite astonished that I should reject her. Dany was a fool however, for I knew leaving her now would only make her want me _more._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did warn you it is a slow burn ;)
> 
> Don't you worry you will get your smut... soon.
> 
> Tha e toilichte - He is happy  
> Thig a-steach - Come in  
> Glè mhath - Very good  
> Chan eil mi a’ tuigsinn - I don't understand  
> Càit a bheil bean agam? - Where is my wife?  
> Gabh mo leisgeul - Excuse me  
> Tha mi duilich - I am sorry  
> Tha mi ag iarraidh Daenerys - I want Daenerys  
> Bruidhinn ri Daenerys - Speak to Daenerys  
> Dè tha e? - What is it?  
> A bheil a h-uile dad ceart gu leòr? - Is everything alright?  
> Tha! Tha sin gu math - Yes! We are good  
> Bidh sinn shìos… ann am mionaid - We'll be down... in a moment  
> Eòin gaoil beag - Little love birds  
> Cò? - Who?  
> Cuin a tha a’ bhanais ann? - When is the marriage?  
> S’ i àlainn - She is pretty  
> Agus tha i goirid - and she is short  
> Sìthiche - A fairy  
> Tha i na sìthiche - She is a fairy


	10. Those Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah has conflicting notions about spending the night with Daenerys, but even his most honorable argument can only take him so far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried the slow burn for as long as I can, but you know, one bed does pose some problems lol

A low growl struck the air the second I opened the front door, making me step backwards to flee back into the house. The door was still open a wee bit when I heard Aodhàn yell out, “Ist!” and then low muttering for his dog to be quiet. I stood on the other side of the door, unsure if it was safe to venture out again when I heard my name being called out by Aodhàn sharply.

I pushed open the door slightly, seeing he had a tight hold on his dog so it wouldn’t attack me. The moonlight illuminated the side of his face, appearing stony as ever as he glared at me heatedly. “Well,” he said in English, impatiently waiting for an explanation.

“Tha mi duilich,” I softly uttered. “Chan eil fios agam…” I pushed the door open a wee bit more, taking my time to step outside into the cold where Aodhàn was waiting for me. “Bha thu a-muigh an-dràsta.”

Aodhàn mumbled low under his breath, and then bent forward to pet affectionately at his dog. The white fur glowed fiercely in the moonlight, a bright contrast to the patches of black fur that decorated the small dog. “Innis dhomh,” he demanded, without ever looking in my direction. “Dè tha ceàrr ort?”

“O,” I mouthed out with pain, unsure how to explain my present situation. I took a seat on the only step in front of his door, bending my legs tiredly before I leaned my elbows upon it. My fingers scratched through my hair, brushing it backwards until you could see my forehead. I let my hair fall back slowly, and then looked upwards where the old man was watching me. His dog was curled up in front of his feet, brushing its snout over the curve of his ankle with affection.

“Tha Daeneyrs ag iarraidh…” I stopped myself, feeling conflicted with such a phrase. “Tha i ag iarraidh…”

“Dè?”

I wasn’t sure what to tell this man, it was embarrassing for one thing and for another I hardly knew the man. _Daenerys wants me to have sex with her,_ I thought, and I don’t know how I felt about that. No, that wasn’t entirely true. I felt the same way about her, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go that far with her just yet.

Aodhàn inquired if I was having trouble sleeping, something I flatly denied without looking him straight in the eyes. He then made a comment about my room being comfortable, but when he uttered, “Leabaidh?” he caught the sudden jerk of my shoulders backwards in defense. “Tha e Daenerys,” he decided. I raised up my right shoulder suggestively, which made the old man laugh at me. He entreated his dog to come off his feet, and then with a wave of a hand beckoned us to follow him. “Thugainn ri,” he remarked. I followed him into the house, slipping off my boots like him, and soon he led me into an unknown room that I gathered to be his study room. He left me to retrieve a candle, letting me look through the small foggy window where a light fog hovered over his ancestral lands. The hills rolled off in the distance, a faint shade of grey-green under the soft lighting of the moon. Aodhàn returned into the room; light brown eyes glowed under the vibrant glow of the candle that rested in a tinted grey holder. He laid it upon a small wooden desk, pushing aside a book to the very corner before he urged me to take a seat. “Ceart gu leòr,” he sighed out, while he tilted his head with half amusement. “Dè tha dol?”

I rubbed my hand over the top of my knee timidly, and then forced myself to look upwards to lock eyes with him. “Tha i ag iarraidh cadal,” I uttered in a low tone of voice that sounded almost guilty. My finger pointed upwards to my chest. “Còmhla rium,” I explained to let him know the truth of the matter.

“Aidh,” he mumbled, and then shrugged his shoulder softly. “An sin tha e.”

 _I suppose so that is it,_ I thought, somewhat relieved by his nonchalant reaction. He could sense my distress, however, and then got up to retrieve two small glasses.

I had told him Daenerys wanted to sleep with me and his response was a thin bottle of whiskey for the two of us to chug down. “Uisge-beatha,” he uttered with delight, and then lifted up our half filled glasses with joy. “Slàinte mhath!” Our glasses clanged loudly, and then he took a hearty gulp with complete satisfaction.

I shook my head after the first sip, finding it stronger than the one I normally consumed. Aodhàn chuckled lowly, unbothered by my reaction. In a much happier mood he reminded me that I was to be married, a lie that I swallowed down quickly with another sip of his whiskey. There was another sly remark that it wouldn’t really matter now if we did share the bed together, though he had difficulty uttering it in a polite way. “’S i òg,” he reminded me with a wicked grin. A fact that I couldn’t deny, for she was quite young. He murmured over the rim of his cup, “Agus is ise bòidheach!" _Yes, she is very beautiful._ “Agus fallain!”

My mouth contorted downwards, upset that he was presenting such a convincing argument. He was highlighting the very attributes that made Daenerys so insatiable to me, a thing I regretted with each argument he gave me. Aodhàn took another sip of his whiskey and then placed it downwards with a loud bang. “Jorah?” he mouthed out with worry, letting his dark eyebrows lower over the lightness of his honey brown eyes. He watched me take another sip of my drink, and then waited for me to swallow it down before he continued. “A bheil gaol agad oirre?”

A tense silence soon followed, one where I was unable to answer his question.

 _Did I love her?_ The very question echoed in my head, making me feel all confused inside. _Did I though?_ _I hadn’t even considered the matter._

“Jorah?” he wheezed from the crack of his mouth, leaning forward with evident concern.

“Ummm,” I murmured, and instantly lifted up a hand to cover the side of my face.

“Jorah,” he said with a tenseness to his voice. “Chan eil fhios agad.” He looked disturbed after he uttered it, and then leaned forward in his chair until his arms rested over the table. He pushed aside our glasses, and patted the side of my wrist to get me to look at him. In a stern voice he advised me to not marry her, especially since I was so hesitant to answer the question. I let out a low sigh, seeing that he was right, even if it was a lie.

“Aodhàn,” I sighed aloud. “Chan eil eòlach oirre,” I confessed, though it pained me to say it. I had told him that I did not know her, but I meant at a deeper level. We have been traveling for sometime, but I wasn’t sure if I was in _love_ with her yet. I remember the day I knew I loved my first wife, that moment of clarity, but I had experienced no such feelings with Daenerys yet. I was attracted to her yes, aware of the connection we held, but to say that I loved her…

“Jorah,” he answered me back quietly. I removed my hand so he could see the whole of my face. “Dè tha thu a’ dol a dhèanamh a-nis?”

I swallowed hard at his utterance, considering the question he so wisely posed to me. My chair was suddenly pushed back and I rose to my feet gravely. “I'll speak to her,” I answered him in English, and with that I left him to go find Daenerys.

* * *

The room was silent when I stepped into the room, making me think that Daenerys was fast asleep. I pulled off my sweater first as I stepped softly across the floor, not wanting to awake her at such a time like this. The bed dipped softly as I sat at the edge, removing the heavy pants and tossing it aside with the borrowed sweater. I looked over my shoulder to see if I had awakened her, but she was perfectly still. Slowly I inclined my body downwards, sinking into the bed, and just when I found myself engulfed undercovers did she shift her body towards me. A hand rested over the front of my chest, her face inching forward and before I knew it, she had tilted her body in such a way to press her lips against mine. “Where were you?” she demanded, once she had her first taste of me.

“Outside.”

“You were gone so long.”

“I thought you would fall asleep.”

“No,” she droned out seductively, making my eyelashes flutter with nervousness.

I sighed aloud and then rolled my body over to face her. “Dany,” I implored. “We need to talk.”

“About?” she demanded, using a tone of voice that lent authority.

“I was talking downstairs with Aodhàn and he asked me something… a question that made me realize my hesitation.”

“Its because you are too much in your head,” she argued back, before I had a chance to continue. “When the answer is so simple.”

“The answer is not simple.” She let her hand slip down my chest and rested it over the flatness of my stomach. “You know that!”

“It’s your wife.”

“No, its not,” I flatly denied. “It has nothing to do with her.”

“You are worried I will hurt you like her, but I won’t.”

“It has nothing to do with her,” I repeated. “Its about _us._ ” Dany let out a soft exhale and then curled her body into mine until her knee was resting over the front of my legs. Her arm encircled me more while she bumped the top of her head into my rib case, just below my armpit. I knew she was angry with me, but I would rather her know the truth. “He asked me if I was in love with you and I was unable to answer him,” I told her bluntly. “That’s the problem, Dany.”

She was silent on her end, a thing that made me regret using such harsh words.

“You said I was honest and honourable, well, I thought you should know the truth of it.”

The tips of her fingers stroked my stomach, and then she laid it flat against my body with a half-suppressed groan.

“Do you love me?” I questioned her.

“Love?” she echoed back. “I’m not sure.”

“I’ve been in love,” I told her. “I know what it _feels_ like.” I laid my hand atop of hers, noticing how warm the top of her knuckles was in the palm of my hand. “I know how consuming it can be. Oh, sure there are all forms of love, but I know the kind that makes you want to marry a woman.”

“And yet she didn’t feel the same way.”

“For a time, she did, but you know… people change.”

“What about us?” she asked in a faltering voice.

“What are you trying to say?”

“What happens to us now?”

“Couldn’t we wait a little,” I suggested. “And I thought you and your brother were quite adamant that you remain a virgin.”

“I forgot,” she half-lied, the sound of her voice betrayed her.

“I could do things that… well…” My voice trailed away, though I could feel an uncomfortable twitch down below. “You know.”

“What are you saying?” she asked me in a sultry voice.

“That could keep your virginity.”

“Jorah,” she laughed. “What are you suggesting?” I could feel a smirk coming on, so I simply closed my eyes and bit down on my tongue. “Jorah?”

“It’s nothing.”

“I want to know.”

“Nothing,” I lied, and turned my body away from her until she was facing my back. Daenerys was most persistent, for she reached her arm over and rubbed my chest in a soothing manner. I was keenly aware when she pressed her chest into the center of my back, leaning her body forward to rest against the curve of my ass. “Dany.”

“I want to know,” she repeated.

“I am sure you already know.”

“No.”

“Dany,” I complained, wondering if I was ever going to get a wink of sleep tonight. “Aren’t you tired?”

“I’ve been waiting up for you all night,” she hushed behind my ear.

I rolled over to face her, realizing I was fighting a battle that I could hardly win. A hand reached forward to tug at her arm, bringing her into me before I crashed my lips against hers. If she wanted to know a show than she was about to get it. I pushed her body down into the bed, and then removed the last of my linen shirt until I was bare chested before her. “Take off your clothes,” I growled with annoyance, a statement that sent her hands feverishly all over my hot flesh.

She kissed my chest excitedly, realizing she was about to have her way. Two hands slipped around the back of my neck, pulling me forward until I crashed into her frame. We rolled across the bed, legs dragging against the other until she was flat on her back again. Our kisses were wild and out of control, loud enough to hear with the pleasant moans escaping Daenerys as I deepened my kisses. I could feel her nails dragging down my back, hard enough to leave a mark. My hands covered the whole of her breasts, fisting it harshly with aggression until she rubbed herself against my crotch with deliberate purpose. My thumb flicked at her nipples, and then I tilted my head to the right to get a new angle of her lips. Daenerys was too busy using her hands to slip inside of my small briefs, taking a hold of my ass tightly. I thrust my hips forward, already wanting to be inside of her even though she was fully clothed. Daenerys turned her head to catch her breath, grasping loudly as I continued to fondle at her nipples.

I was trying to hold back my desire, but the way she was stroking my bare skin made me change my mind. I pushed myself off her suddenly, rolling over to the left until I was flat on my back. I breathed out heavily, betraying my age, and just when I could breath at a tolerable rate, I bunched up the edge of her long shirt and pulled it upwards to have her naked before me. Daenerys watched me eagerly, helping me with my endeavours. She fluffed out her hair once I was done, letting herself rest on her knees as she sat up on the bed, simply staring down at me with a satisfied smile.

“Why should I let you keep it?” I taunted. “Your virginity?”

“Because I will need something to convince a wealthy lord to take me.”

“What about me?”

“I thought you only had a wooden hut,” she teased right back. I sat up in the bed with a warning grunt, knowing she was just toying with me.

“I have a castle.”

“One that you gave up.”

“I have land.”

“That you also gave up.”

“Dany, you are cruel.”

“Says the one that is holding back.”

I took a hold of her hand to send her forward, letting her crash against me before I pulled her back into the bed. I liked when Daenerys was on top of me, not minding that she had control. I kissed her dearly, almost lovingly, slowing down my efforts enough to enjoy each kiss that I gave her. Satisfied, I lightly pushed her off my chest with meaningful purpose. “Lie down,” I instructed her.

“Are you going to do it?”

“Just lie down,” I said with unexpected gruffness. Daenerys followed my orders, looking almost giddy as I rose myself upwards to rest on my knees. Hands cupped the sides of her ankles, gradually spreading her legs apart for the sole purpose of pleasing her. A tiny sigh escaped me, knowing it had been years since I did anything of this kind. I tried to push the thoughts of my wife away from me, knowing this would be the first time that Daenerys ever experienced anything like this. “You will have to be quiet,” I warned. “If you are good, then I will do it to you again sometime.”

“If I am bad?”

“I would prefer to not get kicked out of this room right now!”

Her voice was small when she answered back: “Okay.”

I closed my eyes to push back the last of my worries, and then leaned forward to peck my lips against the top of her foot. Ever so slowly my lips crept upwards, and I made sure to drag my fingers along the sides of her legs soothingly. She would have to relax, though it was hard because of all her excitement. Dany was so young, an envy that I felt most fervently right now. By the time I reached her inner thigh I could smell her sex, a scent that made my right hand cup and then grip my ever hardening cock. I swallowed hard to control my urges, and then continued, knowing I was going closer to the real prize.

“And you say you don’t love me?” Dany teased as I took my time going to the spot. Her fingers brushed through my short hair, anxious for me to finally reach her sacred place. I brushed the tip of my nose into the corner of her inner thigh, inhaling her scent for a blissful moment and then I gripped harshly at the sides of her hips for control. My tongue extended itself to lick at the dampness, tasting her for the first time. I went in from the sides, circling the area, hearing her sharp gasp in the silent room when the tip of my tongue connected with her ever sensitive clit. I smiled briefly, knowing the pleasures she could have there. _It would be enough for tonight,_ I thought, knowing if I made her reach a good enough orgasm, she would fall asleep for good.

“Are you ready, love,” I taunted, before I gripped at her hips harder. My mouth encircled that precious clit of hers, and I used my lips to suck at her teasingly while my tongue stroked it up and down. Her nails dug into my scalp at this point, sharp gasps escaping her. I could feel her body shift onto my head more, the way her breaths increased as I gradually put her on a high. I knew I was hitting the right spots when she made a noise, pushing herself into my mouth with desperation. I used my thumb to pry at her opening, aware of how wet it was once my thumb touched its surface. I circled around it, barely pushing it through, just to see her reaction. I could hear her panting my name, wanting even more than what I was already giving her. My thumb began to jab itself in, going out at a slow pace before I resumed it again. Back and forth I stroked her, while my tongue did its dirty deed. I went in harder, hearing a sharp groan, and at that moment I swooped downwards to replace my finger with my mouth. Hot liquid entered my mouth, enough for me to swallow down before I jabbed my tongue into the inside of her. My other finger made sure not to neglect her clit, until simultaneously I was winding her up on both sides. Daenerys hips bulked off the bed, letting me have the best angle for me to continue. I knew she wanted my cock at this point, so I did the only thing I could which was penetrating her with my tongue as I jabbed it deep inside of her.

“Jorah,” she moaned mistakenly too loud, a thing that instantly brought my tongue out of her.

“Shhhh!”

“Ohhh,” was all that she could say. Daenerys bent over to take a hold of me, bringing me upwards until we were face to face. She kissed me harder than I could ever remember, squeezing the sides of my arms for dear life. I fell on top of her, aware of how she could feel the hardened length that was desiring to go inside of her as well. Her sounds as I pleasured her just about tormented me, and now the aching was too much to bear.

“Let me be the first,” I asked of her in a grizzly voice. “Dany.”

She kissed me harder, pushing her hands down into my back without remorse.

“Dany,” I wheezed out, a second before her lips crushed mine again. The tip of my cock laid over her entrance, wanting to enter her so badly. I could feel myself circling her entrance, aware how she was thrusting her hips upwards for me to continue. “Dany!”

“Yes!” she shot out quickly, and in that moment, I knew our fate was sealed. Her hips bulked upwards to slam herself into me, and I in turn thrust myself inside of her with a heavy blow that sent her body slamming back onto the bed. Another rhythmic thrust soon followed, making a low groan escape her lips, for she was unused to her walls expanding in such a way. Oh god, was she tight, so unused to the sheer size she was about to let in. I closed my eyes and pursed my lips as I continued, feeling a keen sensation each time, I went in a bit deeper. Her pants were loud, erratic-like, though her hands friskily wove itself around my lower waist until it rested over my ass. I knew she was encouraging me to continue; our breaths were in sync after each thrust, lips feebly going over one another until we had to stop to catch our breath. “Jorah,” she moaned out breathlessly, as I built up her high. My hand brushed downwards to stroke at her clit, knowing it would make her peak even faster. She couldn’t hold back the sounds any longer, so she had to bite down on her lips to suppress the noise. I could hear her all the same, trying not to laugh, though the throbbing below was a much needed distraction as I eased myself into her more. Her body swam upwards on the bed, hands finally releasing my ass to hold onto my back for dear life. I was much larger than her, but she managed it surprisingly well. I stroked her faster, hearing the erratic-breathing that couldn’t cope with the sensation anymore. “I- I can’t…” she wheezed out sharply, and then let out a sound that I was sure our nearest neighbours could hear.

“Dany,” I pleaded, but it was too late she was already falling. She had reached her climax, and now all she could do was drop her head against the pillow in pure exhaustion. I watched her chest heave heavily, mouth open wide as she tried to catch her breath. Her hands spun upwards to cup the sides of my cheeks, so very pleased that I finally gave in to her demand. “Are you alright?”

She laughed lightly, a blissful sound that showed she was more than alright.

“Dany?”

She leaned forward to peck my lips lightly, and then dropped her head back into the bed again.

I was deep inside of her at this point and wondered if I should come out of her now. When I posed the question, I received a sharp grunt, an uncharacteristic response from her. Daenerys reaction was quite simple: laying her hands at the back of my nape to push me downwards and lather my lips rather seductively with hers. I felt lost again, finding myself feebly thrusting into the last of her womb with a silent demand for more. _I could get used to this,_ I thought, _and feared that somehow this would be just the first for us- there would be many more to come._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Below is the translation from Gaelic to English:
> 
> Ist - Hush  
> Tha mi duilich - I am sorry  
> Chan eil fios agam... bha thu a-muigh an-dràsta - I did not know... you were outside just now  
> Tha Daeneyrs ag iarraidh… tha i ag iarraidh... - Daenerys wants... she wants...  
> Leabaidh? - Bed?  
> Tha e Daenerys - It's Daenerys  
> Thugainn ri - Let's Go/ Come to  
> Ceart gu leòr - Right, okay then  
> Dè tha dol? - What's going (on)?  
> Tha i ag iarraidh cadal... còmhla rium - She wants to sleep... with me  
> Slàinte mhath! - Good health!  
> Agus fallain! - And healthy!  
> Dè tha thu a’ dol a dhèanamh a-nis? - What will you do now?


	11. The Words of a Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daenerys gives Jorah Mormont hope that he may one day see his ancestral lands again. A pact is formed, one that compels him to go further than he has ever done before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do apologize for the delay. My life was consumed with placement and my part-time job. The virus has compelled me to be stay at home, so that is the reason you get an update. I haven't been studying Scottish Gaelic as much, so that is the reason there is less include than usual. I intend to spend my time practicing it more often. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this short chapter all the same,
> 
> petyrbaaaeeelish

It was late in the morning when I had finally awakened. A knock on the door made me the first to open my eyes, letting out a low groan of exhaustion from last night.

“Gabh mo leisguel,” Flora hushed, after she opened the door a crack.

“A Flora,” I stated. “Thigibh a-steach!”

The old woman slowly crept into the room, balling up the front of her dress with uneasiness. She took a good look at the woman beside me, well covered in blankets and sleeping soundly. A warm smile graced this woman’s face, and then a slow nod of endearment. “A bheil i sgìth?”

“Tha!” I answered her with a tired blinking of my eyes. “Tha sinn sgìth an-diugh.”

Her smile grew wider, showing the kindness of her heart before me. Flora had kindly offered to bring us tea in bed, but I declined her offer most graciously.

I pushed back the blankets, revealing my bare chest. The woman looked at my figure with interest, batting her eyes at me shyly as she turned her head away. “Bidh sinn ag èirigh a-nis.” She turned her gaze to me and assured me I could take all the time I need. “Tha Calum a-mach!” she noted. “Agus tha an duine agam trang.”

“Trang?”

She nodded her head quickly and began to push down the front of her dress in a neat little way. “Tha e a’ leughadh.”

I brushed my fingers through my growing hair, nodding my head slowly in acknowledgment. It was nice for him to be reading at this time of day, even through the barely parted drapes I could see it was a gloriously sunny day outside.

“Mar sin leat an-dràsta,” she muttered, before she took her leave. Steadily closing the door until it shut completely, leaving me alone with this beautiful woman in my bed. I rolled over to my side and pinned back her hair behind her ear, taking in that silver sheen that captivated me so well.

“Dany,” I whispered. She never stirred, so I leaned forward and pressed my lips against her brow tenderly. She barely moved, so I then went a little lower and kissed her lips instead. Blue eyes shined open, bursting with colour against the paleness of her creamy white skin. “Good morning.”

“Jorah,” she said with utter glee. A hand outstretched to cup the side of my arm, bringing me forward until our chests crashed together.

I let out a burst of laughter, hardly believing the good mood she was in. “How are you, my love?” She smiled sweetly at my words, revealing a shade of pink against the side of her cheeks. “Am I not allowed to call you that now?”

“No, I don’t mind.”

I nodded my head slowly, and then closed my eyes with exhaustion. Her hand rubbed down the side of my arm soothingly, spreading her heat in a comforting way. I let out a low sigh, feeling as though I was slipping into some wonderful dream.

“Jorah,” she called out. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel fine,” I droned in a low tone of voice.

“Are you happy we did it?” she asked me bluntly. “Or do you…”

“No, I am happy,” I assured her, after I opened my eyes to catch her every expression. “Are you?”

“After everything we have been through,” she began. “I am happy it was you.”

I smiled at her gratefully, feeling that her words were true. It had been a long time since I had shared a bed with someone, or let myself be open like that as I did with her. She had seen me in a vulnerable state but knowing my past she was most careful to not allow me to relive the heartache from before. Maybe, just maybe, Daenerys Targaryen could be the one to make my heart feel whole again.

She brought her hand from the side of my arm and laid it over my chest, feeling the heartbeat beneath the palm of her hand. “Jorah,” she muttered. “Will you come with me? Will you sail off this island to join me?”

“I am bound to exile.”

“An exile of your own making,” she reminded me gently. “You can still go back, you know.”

“To a life of shame.”

“You have had a life of misfortune,” she stated in a clear tone of voice, as she began to rub my chest in circular motions. “Hard times.” Her hand slid upwards to cup the side of my neck. “Endured a broken heart.” Her thumb dug deep into my skin, watching my expression change as I tried to hold back my sadness. “But you can start a new life again.”

“I have done to much harm to my kin.”

“You could restore order for your people,” she rebutted. “Give them hope to fight again.”

“An English Lord owns it now.”

“An English one,” she echoed. “When it should be a proud Scotsman. A man like you, Jorah.” She rested her hand over the side of my cheek reassuringly, looking into my eyes to give me a sense of hope. “Help me and I will promise to help you.” She inched her face forward, creating a blurry image of her in front of me. Lips hovered over mine to the point that I could feel her warm breath. “Join our two houses.”

“I am ruined, Dany.”

“I am a dragon,” she related with strength to her voice. She lightly kissed my lips, letting it last for a few seconds until she pulled herself back. “We believe in rebirth, the Targaryen’s. We believe that things can be restored.”

“You think I can?”

“I know you can.” She pressed her lips against mine again, letting it last for a few heartbeats. I pursued her myself, taking a hold of her body to crush me into her frame. I could feel myself aching for her already, but right now all I wanted to do was kiss in this woman that believed in me. “Jorah Mormont,” she stated in a breathless voice. She tucked her head low, pressing my mouth against the top of her brow. “You will rule your lands again.”

I smiled at her words, knowing she could feel it against the warmth of her skin. I used my finger to tilt her chin up, gazing to her eyes with longing. I shut my eyes suddenly and kissed her lips dearly, stretching it out moment by moment. She allowed me to lay her flat on her back, bringing myself over her so we could make love once again. Her toes scrapped over my legs, feeling the curve of my ankle and the side of my feet as she moved herself downwards. She aligned her hips perfectly to mine, bracing herself with a tight hold over my back before I could enter. “Jorah, please,” was all I need to hear, before I swooped down to kiss those lips like my life depended upon it. I pushed myself inside of her slowly, dragging out the moment to hear the sounds erupting from her mouth. A pleasant relieved noise gushed from partially closed lips, while she tilted her head to the side so I could kiss down her neck. I wanted her plan to come to fruition, for Dany to become a part of my life. Her fingers dug harshly into my back, pushing into my skin as I eased myself into her. She had to be careful not to be too loud, it would be at our peril if Aodhàn or Flora should hear. The bed rocked slightly beneath us, masking out the heavy breathing that escaped Daenerys mouth. The aching down below suited me just fine, knowing I was going deeper into her womb. I could feel her hands brush upwards, resting over the top of my spine in a tight embrace. I was busy brushing up those long silver locks, watching it shine against my pale fingers in the bright sunlight.

“I want that to come true,” I told her in a gruff voice. “I want it to happen.”

“It will happen,” she sighed out in a shaky voice, before her body shook from the heavy impact of me thrusting inside of her. Slick wet lips crashed against each other, kissing in a wild frenzy that made us both lose control. I sped myself up, feeling the build-up of tension that rocked through her.

There were shouts outside, coming from the front yard between Calum and his father. I looked down at Dany to see she shared the same awful expression, wishing that we could ignore the presence of others. “Dany,” I muttered, as I slowed down my efforts. She clung her fingers to the side of my neck, pinching her fingers into my flesh. “How about we leave later on today?”

“You don’t want to stay?”

“I want to be with you,” I revealed with an honest look.

“How much further do we have to travel?”

“It is still a long way,” I assured her. “And it won’t be easy.”

“I will do it.”

“Then we leave this afternoon?”

“Yes,” she told me with confidence, while I was still deep inside of her. She blinked curiously, and then turned her head away while she leaned the back of her head heavily upon the pillow.

“What is it?”

“The journey will be difficult,” she mused aloud. “If only we could have a house like this Jorah.”

“Maybe one day we will.”

“Would you have sheep?”

“I will have sheep.” I leaned forward slowly. “And a beautiful wife that I can bed at night.”

She smirked at my words, eyes dazzling with delight. “Then we should leave then.”

“Not until I am finished with you,” I cunningly replied, and then arched my hips upwards so I could push myself inside of her more. She let out a breathy sigh, a good sign for me. “And I intend to take my time,” I warned, just before I leaned forward to offer her an ardent kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation is written below:
> 
> Gabh mo leisguel - Excuse me  
> A Flora - Flora (I am unsure if I should have put "A Fhlora" so I might have to double check with a fluent speaker later).  
> Thigibh a-steach - Come in  
> A bheil i sgìth? - Is she tired?  
> Tha sinn sgìth an-diugh - We are tired today  
> Bidh sinn ag èirigh a-nis - We will be gettting up now  
> Tha Calum a-mach - Calum is out  
> Agus tha an duine agam trang - And my husband is busy  
> Trang? - Busy?  
> Tha e a’ leughadh - He is reading  
> Mar sin leat an-dràsta - Goodbye for now (Informal way)
> 
> Btw I finally started to watch the show Outlander. It is so good! Hopefully it will inspire me to update more quickly.
> 
> On a final note, I am not Scottish nor am I a native speaker. I am in fact a Canadian, so if something has sounded wrong in the story so far I apologize. If anyone does speak Irish or Scottish Gaelic feel free if I have made any errors thus far, it would be greatly appreciated.


	12. In Good Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jorah finds himself in good company as he enjoys his breakfast around new friends and a woman he loves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we can all agree it is a trying time right now. As a result I thought I should write a short fluffy chapter. I hope you enjoy it all the same.

The staircase creaked underneath our feet, but it wasn’t enough to stop Flora from humming. It was later in the morning, a time of activity, though I wasn’t sure the activity Dany and I had upstairs would count for Flora. I was the first to reach the bottom of the narrow staircase, trying to hide back my guilty expression when she narrowed her eyes at me.

“Madainn mhath,” I hushed out carefully, and then looked over my shoulder to find Dany nearly behind me. Flora echoed my sentiments, and then pointed at an empty chair for me to be seated. “Ciamar a tha sibh?” I inquired, as I pulled up a chair.

Dany’s feet landed on the bottom staircase, she shyly raised up a hand to our hostess. Greetings reached her ears that Dany could never understand, prompting her to look in my direction. “She wished you a good morning,” I exclaimed. “Come! Sit.”

Dany pulled out a chair next to me. There was a bowl set up for us with a meager silver spoon. The kitchen window was open to show that the sky had changed, turning a murky grey with the wind picking up outside. “It is looking terrible outside,” I fretted out loud. “We might have to change our plans.”

The clanging of a pot sounded, for Flora had removed it from a hot element. Dany leaned into my body more and entreated: “You said we would be leaving today.”

“Oh, by all means!” I chuckled. “If you’d like to go out in the rain.”

“Fine,” she groaned. “You win.”

“I would like to go too, you know.”

The pot was brought over by the old woman, placed over a circular slab of wood. The lid was removed, bringing that distinctive scent of boiled oats into the air. The sweet scent told me it would be more flavoured then the one I had frequently enjoyed in my little hut. She laughed heartily when she saw me lick at my top lip, revealing how starving I was this morning.

Dany reached for my hand, grasping it under the table with affection. I turned my head to her, seeing that look in her eyes. I leaned forward to kiss her, but the splat of oatmeal in my bowl quickly changed my mind. “Eòin gaoil beag,” muttered in front of me, which made me burst out in laughter.

“Little love birds!” I yelled out to Dany. Without warning I took a hold of her face on either side, bringing it forward to smack my lips over hers. “Yes, yes,” I chanted out with merriness, while watching her cheeks flush a shade of red. “And thank you Flora.”

The woman muttered something under her breath, but I got a sense it wasn’t a bad thing. Dany’s bowl was the next to be full, and after that the old woman left our company. Dany let the bottom of her spoon smash the porridge. “Is this a common form of breakfast?”

“We eat what we can.”

She drew the spoon deeper into her porridge. “The food in France was so different.”

“I imagine so.”

“I don’t mean to complain.” The spoon was brought upwards, barely hovering in front of her mouth. “I can’t help but to compare the two.”

“Inland you will have more variety,” I explained. “Fresh trout and salmon.” I paused so I could eat my delicious breakfast. “Venison.”

“We have that there as well.”

“Meat from our animals we farm.” The lovely lady beside me smiled at my words. “I do miss that.”

“What?”

“Having my own farm,” I replied with some discomfort. “Best not to think about the past.”

“Why?”

“Why look at the past, when the future is in front of me.” I winked at her playfully, and then continued with my meal. We sat in companionable silence, allowing me to look out the window where tiny splats of rain pelted the glass. Rain would be pouring down from the heaven’s soon enough, a sure sign that our plans were thwarted this morning.

A door swung open, and the soft padding of the homeowner’s dog came through. I could hear its soft breathing in the front parlor, and soon enough it came pouncing into the kitchen with an inquisitive air. I leaned out my chair to pet the small creature, delighted to feel its soft fur running against my hand.

“Hello there,” I cooed, finding this dog too irresistible. With one strong hand I lifted the dog into the air and using the other I was able to support it in my lap. Dany took turns petting this small creature as well, completely forgetting her breakfast. A pink tongue laid over its tinted black lips, shiny obsidian orbs glistened in the dim lighting of the kitchen. There was some tossing off boots near the front door, distracting the small dog momentarily. “Would you have one Dany?”

“A dog? I am not sure.”

“I like all animals,” I told her. “I especially miss having a horse.” I let the dog take its natural place on the wooden floor, watching it scamper off to its master with eagerness. “I suppose being around people makes me remember the things I’ve lost.”

Dany leaned to the left to peck her lips against my cheek. I knew it was an act of reassurance, a kindness that I felt deeply.

Another set of banging near the front door made me look over my shoulder, making me realize that the two men were entering their humble abode.

“Its raining,” Dany drearily noted.

I picked up my spoon idly, watching the steam rise from the golden dark porridge as I mused aloud: “An rud a thig leis a’ ghaoith, falbhaidh e leis an uisge.”

“Tha!” echoed behind me, showing that Aodhàn echoed my sentiments. “Gu dearbh.”

Dany gave me a questioning look, in which I simply shrugged my shoulders at her. “An old Scottish proverb.”

Aodhàn drew off his hat, letting the water droplets slink off it while he waved it in the air. He laughed kindly to himself, appearing to be in the best of moods. His son was standing in his shadows, peeping around his father’s form to have a look at us. “Sin thu, a chàirdean!” Calum exclaimed. He gave a happy wave, before he swerved around his father’s large form and came over to his newly acclaimed friends. A hand was offered to us both, and then he took a seat opposite Dany. A full-hearted smile was offered to the two of us, and then he leaned back in his chair and stared at the window to take in the rain that was coming down harder than ever before. “Tha an t-usige ann,” he observed. Fingers drew back his slick wet hair, falling to the back of his nape before he let out a sigh. He turned to me with energy and then inquired if I should like to hear a scary story. I agreed, only with the consent that I should be given time to pause and translate it for Dany. The young man agreed, and never began until his father took a seat beside him.

The clouds darkened overhead, casting our small company into shadows. Dany ate her food quietly, listening to the strange tale of “cù sith,” a dog as large as a full-sized cow that haunted the high hills and valley glades of the highlands.

I translated the story in-between bites of food, trying to do my best to translate the tragic tale for the woman beside me.

“Sùilean uaine,” Calum relayed, while he pointed into the center of his eyes. He narrowed them menacingly at the young girl, hoping to frighten her with the tale.

“It has green eyes,” I translated. I waited for Calum to finish his sentence before I added. “And even darker hair.”

“This is ridiculous!” she shot out. “There is no beast like that in the highlands.”

“And how would you know?”

She made a scolding sound at me, but decided it was best to hear Calum’s tale. His story lasted long after we finished our meals. Flora returned to offer us some treasured cup of tea, letting us know it was hard to acquire such treats so far up north on this isolated island. It was explained to her two guests that it was from her closest neighbour, for their son enjoyed traveling and obtaining rare goods when he ventured off the island. It was then that I discovered we were halfway through our journey, and if we were so lucky to obtain a horse, we could be at the ferry port by the end of the week. I made a small inquiry of a map of the island, something that Aodhàn would willingly give after Calum concluded his haunting tale.

Cups were laid out for the family and their guests by Flora. Dany leaned into the side of me, convincing me to wrap my arm around her. I hushed out the last of the story into her ear, while she dragged her hand up and down the left side of my waist. “The tale is done,” I whispered. “Are you scared to go back home now?”

“No. Are you?”

“Not unless I go very high up north,” I teased. She tilted her head to gaze into my eyes, striking a fire within me. I had trouble breaking my gaze away, but when I did, I saw Aodhàn with a cheeky grin. He clapped his hands together and then brought himself out of his seat. “Mapa! Mapa!” he cried out with energy. The odd man left us with those parting words, clearly intent on obtaining a map to assist me.

“A Chalum?”

“Aidh,” he responded, once the young man heard me call out his name. “Dè tha e?”

I looked to Dany, trying to decipher if this was the best question to ask our host. I decided to turn it around the last second, and cleverly inquired if he knew of anyone selling a horse. The man shook his head quite adamantly, shutting down my idea of taking a faster route within seconds.

“Chan eil eich agam,” he dully replied. “Tha mi duilich, caraid.”

I frowned in front of him, and then gave out a resigned sigh. “Dany, he has no horses to sell. Well, he has no horses in general. I don’t believe his neighbours do either, or he would have told me. We will have to go on foot.”

“I am healthy,” she retorted. “It will be fine.”

“Maybe this evening if this rain stops.” I looked straight ahead to see Calum at a loss when trying to decipher our words, for he was unable to comprehend the English language. “I do not want to surpass their hospitality.”

“Take advantage of it,” she conceded.

Flora returned to the room with a fresh pot of tea in hand. The pot was placed in the center of our table. She asked her son to kindly pour out tea for us, claiming she would return a few moments more. The room became busy with Calum pouring out our tea, while the heavy stamping of his father’s feet informed me he was just entering the room. The map was pressed down on the small table space between Dany and I. “Seo mapa,” Aodhàn related. He pointed at a specific spot where I imagined we were stationed. “Càite a bheil thu a’ dol?”

“Ferry port,” I answered him in English, since I knew he would recognize that word in both languages. “We plan to take a boat…” I paused. “A bàta-”

“-bàta,” he echoed in understanding.

“To the mainland.” I paused to see if he could understand that part.  My hands were spread far apart as I uttered, “Ummmm… tìr mòr.”

The man nodded his head in understanding and began pointing to a western portion of land where he believed a ferry would dock in mainland Scotland. Looking down at this map everything seemed so close together, but I knew getting to the ferry port at the edge of this island would take quite some time. The man must have sensed my troubled thoughts for he patted me on my back and told me he would return.

“Dany do you see your home?”

“It is inland,” she explained. “Below the highlands.” I arched an eyebrow at her. “What is it?”

“Below.”

“Well, yes,” she breathed out with a hint of discomfort. “I thought you knew.”

I shrugged my shoulders at her. “I never thought to ask.”

“You are from the highlands?”

I merely smirked at her, until she found her question to be most absurd. I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into my frame before I kissed her lips quite soundly. She patted me on my chest, half embarrassed that I should do it in from Calum. “Drink your tea.”

“What if I don’t want it?”

“Drink,” she giggled, and then removed herself from my arms so I could focus more. Fortunately for her, Flora entered the room with a plate full of buttery scones. Daenerys instantly piped up at the sight of it, probably happy to have a break from a bowl of oatmeal.

Once everyone was at the table, we spent our time enjoying the warm buttery pastries with a nice cup of black tea. The rain was drizzling outside, slowing down after a wave of torrential rain. We could hear the barking of Aodhàn’s dog near the front door, practically begging to be taken outside again. Calum licked the tip of his fingers as he stood out of his chair, dragging it down the front of his pants before he decided to let the dog roam free.

“This is good,” Dany hushed beside me. “You think we can take some on our journey?”

I raised an eyebrow at her yet again, bringing a shade of pink to her cheeks. “You want me to ask?”

“Should you?”

Calum was watching our interaction with interest once he took his seat, curious as to where our conversation was going. When I looked over at Aodhàn, it was clear he was very curious as well. “Tha sinne a’ falbh an-diugh,” I began. The entire table became very sad at the news, grieved that their newly acquainted friends should be leaving. I took a hold of Dany’s hand and brought it up on the table, making up a lie that Daenerys was eager to return home to her family and to be joined in matrimony with me. Flora reacted by jumping out her chair and giving us each a hug. Calum clanged his spoon against his cup and began to sing a song, making his father join in with the same energetic spirit. Flora breathed out a flurry of words to Dany, leaving me to quickly translate it. “She has said we make a fine couple.”

“Oh,” Dany mouthed out lightly.

“And that we will have beautiful children too.”

Dany mouth dropped opened, sending a rupture of laughter from me. Flora passed behind me with a smack on my arm in disapproval, mistaking my laughter as simple teasing to my future wife. Flora chided me to be nice to Dany, sending a large grin to my face. “’S ise brèagha,” she sighed out in disbelief, pointing at the young woman’s hair was a shimmering shade of grey. “Seall!”

Her husband agreed with her instantly, leaning into the table as he rapped out: “A chailin aluinn.” I took brought up our joined hands and kissed the top of Dany’s knuckles. Aodhàn reacted with loud clapping to show his approval. Calum started up with his song again, one I had never heard before. He had a nice voice, deep and soothing, and when he swayed from side to side to the slow rhythm of the song you could truly feel the weight of his words. It was an old song, before his time, one where a bridegroom made a solemn oath to his lover. Dany lowered our hands as she listened to the song, clearly captivated by the sound of Calum’s voice. Flora clapped her hands softly to the beat upon the table, humming lightly since she wasn’t familiar with the words. I knew then that I would miss this family’s companionship, and on this long journey homeward I would never forget the kindness bestowed upon Dany and myself. I turned to the girl at the right of me, seeing her lost in the words she could scarcely understand. The tone of Calum’s voice, that slow easeful rhythm was unmistakable, and I sensed she felt something akin to that love song that was poured upon her. I leaned in a little to press my face into her tousled silver hair, breathing in the scent deeply for my own pleasure before I kissed her there. She laid a hand on the center of my chest, rubbing it in small circles. I was a lost man when I was with her, and quite frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to use familiar wordings or phrases from previous chapters to make it simpler for you all. Below is the translation from Scottish Gaelic to English.
> 
> Madainn mhath - Good morning  
> Ciamar a tha sibh - How are you (Polite form)  
> Eòin gaoil beag - Little love bird(s)  
> An rud a thig leis a’ ghaoith, falbhaidh e leis an uisge - (Gaelic Proverb) What comes with the wind will go with the rain  
> Tha... gu dearbh - Yes, indeed  
> Sin thu, a chàirdean - There you are friends (loosely translated)  
> Tha an t-usige ann - It is raining  
> cù sìth - (literal translation is peace dog). It is supposed to be a haunting creature that lives in the highland wilderness according to folk tales.  
> Aidh - Aye  
> Dè tha e? - What is it?  
> Càite a bheil thu a’ dol? - Where are you going?  
> Bàta - boat  
> Tìr mòr - mainland  
> Tha sinne a’ falbh an-diugh - We are leaving today  
> ’S ise brèagha - She is beautiful  
> Seall! - Look!  
> A chailin aluinn - A beautiful girl


End file.
